RWBBY - The Shapeshifter
by sparkydragon98
Summary: After the death of his parents, 10-year old Bolt discovers that he has a unique ability! 7 years later, he goes to Beacon and becomes a part of Team RWBY. Check out the adventures of Team RWBBY! Pairing will be YangxOC. Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY or Pokemon, they belong to their respective companies.
1. My Past

**A/N: Hey readers! Sparkydragon98 here! This is a little idea I came up with while watching one of my favorite shows. I thought it might make a good story. This is my first fanfiction, so tell me what you like or don't like about it. I hope you enjoy the first chapter of RWBBY - The Shapeshifter!**

 **EDIT: I just needed to change the time that passed after Bolt turned 17. That is all.**

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Chapter 1 - My Past

My name is Bolt Burns.

I have spiky, blue hair and red eyes. I wear a blue hoodie over a green T-shirt, with blue jeans and black and white sneakers. In addition, I wear a pair of blue leather fingerless gloves. In case it wasn't obvious, blue is my favorite color.

I'm 17 years old. I just turned 17 a month ago.

I was born with a unique ability, one rarely ever seen before. But before I can tell you about it, I have to tell you about my past...

7 years ago...

I lived with my parents for 10 years, ever since I was born. My dad and mom were good people. My dad had black hair and red eyes, while my mom had blue hair and brown eyes. They cooked for me, cared for me, and read stories to me when I couldn't sleep at night. But most importantly, they taught me things. Things that would be essential for me to know as I got older.

When I was 7, I got to learn more about the world I live in. My parents explained how dark the outside world is and how it was overrun with creatures called Grimm. That was the day I learned of my parents' responsibility in keeping the peace. They told me that they were a Huntsman and Huntress, respectively. My dad showed me his weapon—a curved, silver katana with a lightning bolt on the flat of both sides. It also doubled as a gun. My mom wielded a pair of metal fans with a fire symbol on each for close-range combat, capable of blocking and deflecting bullets and other kinds of projectiles. She also wielded a chain sickle to attack from a distance. That was the day I had taken an interest in weapons; their cool designs and functions were absolutely amazing!

But most of all, that was the day that being a Huntsman became my dream. I was eager to get started; however, my parents laughed at my enthusiasm and explained that after I turned 14, I would be able to attend a school called Signal Academy. They told me that at Signal, I would learn more about being a Huntsman; I would even get the opportunity to make and design my very own weapon! I couldn't wait for the time to come; unfortunately, I had to wait 7 more years. I still dealt with it, waiting eagerly (and slightly impatiently) until the day would come.

After I had turned 8, I found out that I still had a lot to learn. My parents introduced a new concept to me: aura. They explained that aura is the manifestation of our souls. All living things have aura, excluding the creatures of Grimm, which have no soul. Huntsmen and Huntresses can use their aura to deflect deadly attacks or heal minor wounds. In addition, they can also use their aura for something called a "semblance", or an ability unique to a single person. My dad took me outside to our backyard, where he demonstrated his semblance: he charged up his aura and fired a beam so powerful that it obliterated a tree. My dad explained that his "aura beams" were capable of locking onto an opponent's aura, making them nearly impossible to avoid, while I looked on in wonder. Afterwards, my mom presented her unique ability to me. I watched in awe as she began to teleport, disappearing and reappearing all around us. After seeing my parents' special abilities, I started to wonder what my semblance would be. My parents told me that there were lots of different things it could be: speed, magic, clones, strength, etc. I hoped it would be as cool as my parents'.

Since then, I began reading books about the Grimm, weapons, and aura. I learned about many different kinds of Grimm and their appearances. The books I read that were about weapons gave me a wide variety of weapons to look at. I was interested the most in the bo staff. The range was nice, and keeping your opponents at a distance seemed like an efficient tactic in battle, especially against opponents specializing in CQC. On the other hand, a staff wasn't the most lethal weapon out there; after all, it was essentially just a stick. The clawed gauntlets also caught my attention. They were definitely lethal weapons. However, they weren't as impressive, defensively, as the bo staff. I couldn't decide between defense or offense; I was sure I would choose when I got older, though.

The books I read about aura were interesting too. They held the same information that my dad and mom had already told me. I also learned that meditation would help in unlocking a person's aura, so I chose to try it out. However, that was easier said than done. As an energetic 8-year old, it wasn't exactly simple to sit still and meditate; I couldn't even sit still for more than 5 minutes. My parents told me that I would get better as I got older, so I decided to hold off on the meditation for now.

When I was 9, my parents called me to come because they wanted to tell me something. They told me that they had decided that I was old enough. I didn't understand what they meant when they said that, so they elaborated: they were going to take me with them for the first time. I would get to see them in action as they "did their thing," as my dad put it. Of course, that got me really excited; I couldn't wait to watch my parents fight against monsters! After I got ready and they gathered their weapons, they took me to a forest that was about three miles from our home. My parents informed me that this forest was called the Emerald Forest. Once we got there, we walked inside. It was dark and spooky; I stayed close to my dad and mom as we continued through the forest.

Suddenly, there was a rustling in the bushes in front of us. The rustling spread from in front of us to all around us. I crept closer to my mom, getting a feeling that we were about to be attacked. As I expected, a Beowolf lunged out of the bushes in front of us; still, the sudden sight of a creature of Grimm jumping toward us from out of nowhere gave me a start. The Beowolf growled loudly and swung its claws back before bringing them forward. Unfortunately for it, it was going up against an experienced Huntsman and Huntress.

In an instant, the top half of the creature's body was separated from the bottom half. The two halves flew past my dad, who was standing in front of us with his arm extended, sword in hand. As they hit the ground, they began to dissolve; I watched it dissolve until there was nothing left.

Suddenly, another Beowolf jumped out toward us, this time from behind us. I spun around in shock, not sure if there was enough time to react. However, in the next second, I found myself standing on top of a tree branch and watching my father whirl around, the sword in his hand now a gun, and shoot the monster in the head. It dropped to the ground, dead.

I looked around frantically, trying to figure out how I got in the tree when I saw my mom standing next to me and smiling at my reaction. That was when I remembered she could teleport; I realized she must have teleported us up here. Just then, more Beowolves emerged from the bushes, surrounding my dad and growling at him. My mom gave me another smile before teleporting back down and standing next to my dad. She drew her metal fans and got ready to fight.

I watched for the next few minutes as my parents slashed and shot at every single Beowolf surrounding them. It was amazing: how fluently they moved, the way their weapons flashed as they used them, and most of all, their semblances in action! At one point, one of the Beowolves noticed me and jumped at me. However, it didn't make it very far before my mom's chain sickle hooked onto its leg and pulled it back down. Another one jumped at me, this time too far for my mom to intervene, but she didn't have to. A blue beam of aura slammed into the dark creature, sending it flying away. I smiled at my dad, who grinned and sent a thumbs-up back.

Once they were done fighting and all the monsters were dissolving, my mom got me down. I started talking excitedly about how that was the coolest thing I'd ever seen. This made them laugh. We went home after that, with my parents promising to let me watch them fight more often.

Since then, my parents kept their promise by taking me with them to see them fight every week. I watched them take down lots of different monsters, ranging from the common Beowolves and Ursai to the rarer ones like Boarbutusks and King Taijitus, those fights being the most entertaining to watch. The more I watched them in action, the more excited it made me to eventually join in the action, too. My parents took note of this and told me that if I could improve in my meditation, they would give me something special to help me get started. I was ecstatic to hear that; so ecstatic, in fact, that I went to continue my meditating right away. I figured it wouldn't be too difficult.

Well, I was wrong.

My eagerness to join in the action didn't exactly help my concentration. It was only slightly easier than when it was when I was 8. I was able to stay put longer than when I had started a year ago, but not long enough for any real progress to be made. I was determined to, however, and never gave up.

As it turned out, my persistence paid off. About a month after I turned 10, I finally began to improve. I could tell due to the slight glow that surrounded my body, if only for a second. I eagerly went to tell my parents what had happened, and they seemed surprised to hear about it. Apparently, they hadn't expected me to make it so far so soon. They told me to keep up the meditation, and they would have the special thing ready for me in a few days.

I did as they said and kept up my meditation. I continued to improve gradually, the blue glow appearing around me and remaining for a few minutes before fading altogether. It was after a few more days of meditation that my parents called me. They told me that they were thoroughly impressed with how quickly I had improved. I frowned at that; it had taken a little longer than a year for me to make any kind of progress. They explained that they were expecting me to take a lot longer than that—years, at least—and speculated that my semblance might have something to do with it. Hearing that made me even more eager to find out what it was. Then my parents reminded me that they had a gift for me and handed me a blue box. I opened the box and couldn't believe my eyes.

It was a bo staff.

Lying inside the box was a blue bo staff. It was about 5 feet long with a yellow lightning bolt stretching from one end to the other. In the center of the bolt, my name was carved in black letters. Seeing this made me so excited that I literally spent 5 minutes running around ecstatically, and the next 5 hugging my parents, who had been laughing the whole time.

Despite this, I felt the slightest tinge of disappointment. I had gotten a bo staff as my weapon, which meant that while it would be ideal for defense, it wouldn't fare as well offensively as the clawed gauntlets.

As if they could read my mind, my parents said they had another surprise for me. They picked up my new bo staff...and promptly snapped it in half. The shock of seeing them snap my weapon didn't last long; after a second, the two halves began to transform. They turned in on themselves, showing off a set of three holes on each end. Once they were done reforming, a set of 3 claws popped out from each end, revealing a pair of clawed gauntlets, one in each of their hands. The shock, which had turned to awe while the weapon was changing, was now joy once again. It seemed I had gotten both of my desired weapons.

Just when I thought this day couldn't get any better, my parents managed to do just that. They told me that now that I had my weapon, they would start training me! I couldn't believe my ears; I would get a head start at what it felt like to be a Huntsman! I asked when my training would begin, and they answered that I could start now if I wanted. I wanted to start as soon as possible, so I agreed. They brought me to the backyard, where my training began.

They explained that they would begin with the basics. We started with my bo staff. My dad demonstrated how to twirl the staff around fast enough to deflect bullets and other projectiles, as well as switching it from one hand to the other. He told me that once I mastered this, we would move on. After about an hour, I managed to get the spinning down adequately enough; switching the staff from one hand to the other was another thing. It took a couple of days of practice in order to learn how to do it well enough, but I did it.

After learning how to wield my staff, my parents taught me how to use it in battle. They taught me how to attack with it and had me practice what I learned on targets that they set up. About a week later, my parents informed me that I improved excellently, so now they were going to teach me to use the clawed gauntlets. They taught me different styles of fighting involving these weapons, and though the training was arduous, I really enjoyed it.

The clawed gauntlets were harder to work with than the bo staff, and it took me a week and a half to learn how to use them as well. After that, my parents spent the next few days teaching me how to switch between my two weapons in rapid succession. They explained that this was a helpful skill to have in battle because in the midst of a fight, one weapon may be more suitable than the other. This training exercise was meant to help me minimize the amount of time it took for me to change weapons.

Once all my lessons were complete, my parents told me that they were extremely impressed with how far I'd come in my training. They informed me that I was progressing a lot faster than they were expecting and that if I kept up my training and my meditation, they would take me into the Emerald Forest so that I could test my skills against the Grimm there. I was delighted to hear that; I couldn't wait to fight against creatures of Grimm. The thought also made me a bit nervous; after all, it would be my first time.

I did as they instructed, meditating for 2 hours each morning before going to train for 3 hours in the afternoon. I continued to get better in my meditation and improve in my training. And eventually, a week later, my parents stayed true to their word. After my daily meditation and training routines, they told me I was ready. After my parents had gathered their weapons, we all headed to the forest. Unfortunately, this visit wouldn't be as entertaining as our past visits.

We made it to the forest, where my parents began searching for a Grimm that I could fight. My dad said that I would start with something easy, like a Beowolf.

However, none of us could have predicted that we would run into something much worse.

It happened when we were walking past a cave. We were still looking for a Grimm to fight, but it seemed like they were all staying away. I couldn't understand why the forest seemed so empty; at least, it did until we passed by the cave. After we had walked a few feet away, we heard a loud rumbling. We turned around in time to hear a thundering boom. Standing a few feet away from us was a giant scorpion-like Grimm, more commonly known as a Death Stalker.

These creatures were even harder to find than King Taijitus. They weren't something I was eager to face right away, due to their high resistance to blades and bullets. However, I had never seen my parents fight a Death Stalker before; I could probably gain some useful tips on how to defeat one in the future. I was sure they could handle it.

...At least, I was sure they could before the second one showed up.

As if one wasn't bad enough, another Death Stalker scuttled out behind the first, both snapping their pincers at us. Even I, a beginner, knew that retreating was obviously the best option. But as I turned to run the opposite direction, a giant feather flew from out of nowhere and embedded itself into the ground in front of me.

Giant feather? Oh, snap...

To my growing fear, a loud caw filled the air. We all looked up to see a giant Nevermore flying around above us. So now we were surrounded by 3 of the most dangerous creatures of Grimm, with no chance of escaping thanks to the Nevermore. We had no choice but to fight.

It didn't go so well.

I didn't have any ranged weaponry, and my weapon wasn't a firearm, so I was unable to fight the Nevermore. My bo staff was virtually useless against the Death Stalkers, but my clawed gauntlets weren't doing too much better. I had to be careful getting too close to the two monsters or else I would get hit by their enormous pincers or stingers. My dad was fighting them with me, slashing away at their heads and bodies, but they were too armored for him to make any real progress.

I risked a quick glance behind me where my mom was fighting the Nevermore. She was using her chain sickle to attack it from a distance, and when it fired its feather projectiles at her, she would use her Semblance to get closer to it and hack away with her metal fans. Even with this attack strategy, her attempts were far from enough to defeat the giant bird monster.

As I watched, the Nevermore fired off another round of giant feathers. My mom teleported out of the way once again, only this time there was a problem. My eyes widened in horror as I noticed that the feathers were now heading our way. My dad didn't realize what was about to happen, so I took matters into my own hands. I raced in front of him, shifting my gauntlets back into staff form. Once the staff was fully reformed, I began twirling it, deflecting the incoming feathers with a little effort.

I was feeling grateful for my parents' lessons and a little proud for pulling that off when I suddenly noticed that one of the Death Stalkers was now too close for comfort. Its stinger was hanging above its head, and as I watched, it brought it down, aiming for my chest. I barely managed to sidestep the attack, keyword being barely. As it was, the tip of the stinger grazed my right arm.

I dropped my weapon and grasped my arm while letting out a cry of pain, alerting both my dad and my mom to my predicament. Their eyes went wide with shock before my dad was in front of me, slashing away at the Death Stalker that had assaulted me, finally finishing his onslaught with a large aura beam that sent the giant scorpion flying into its friend. They both collapsed in a heap, but I knew they wouldn't stay that way for long.

This distraction bought my mom enough time to reach my side. She managed to bring me to the cover of the trees, temporarily out of the Nevermore's sight. There, she inspected my injury. It wasn't bad, but it did hurt. My mom said I couldn't remain here any longer because it was too dangerous. I wanted to protest that my parents would have less of a chance at winning, but before I could, my mom dashed over to where I had dropped my weapon. She picked it up and hurried back over to me.

Unfortunately, her movement attracted the Nevermore's attention. With an enraged caw, it flew toward her. I glanced over at my dad. He was fighting the Death Stalkers again, now that they had recovered, although the one that injured me had a crack on its head from where he blasted it. Another caw drew my attention back to the Nevermore, which was closing in on me and my mom, who had just reached me. It reared its wings back.

I looked back to my dad and saw that he was now looking at us. He gave a single nod. I didn't understand what he meant, but apparently my mom did as she nodded back.

Just as the Nevermore thrust its wings forward, firing more feathers at the two of us, my mom grabbed hold of me and teleported. However, instead of reappearing somewhere around the giant bird, I noticed that we were now surrounded by lots of trees. The cave was nowhere in sight.

I looked around in confusion before looking at my mom questioningly. She had a grim look on her face as she told me to find a safe place to hide and she would come back for me later. I argued that without me, they would be outnumbered, even with my lack of experience, but she said that I was their top priority and that they needed to make sure I was safe. Then she dropped my weapon into my hands and told me to go and not to be afraid, before pushing me in one direction. I wanted to argue against her actions, but by the time I turned back, she was gone.

I couldn't believe she had taken me out of the fight, and my dad must have been okay with it, which would explain the nod. Well, I wouldn't let them fight alone! I would go back and help them! The only problem was that I had no idea which way to go. I didn't know which direction my mom teleported or how far away. I couldn't even hear the Nevermore's loud caws anymore. I wouldn't let that stop me, though; if there was one thing I was, it was persistent.

With a resolute expression on my face, I set off in the opposite direction that my mom had pushed me; I figured that would be the best direction to start. I walked along, holding my weapon close to me and keeping my eyes peeled for Grimm. It was starting to get dark, but I didn't let that stop me.

About half an hour later though, I was starting to worry that I may not find them when suddenly I...felt...something. This...feeling...was warm and comfy, but fading. I closed my eyes, subconsciously turning in that direction and following the feeling until it disappeared. Then I opened my eyes and began to run, continuing in the direction that I had felt the feeling.

It was 10 minutes later that I finally saw the cave again. I rushed forward, feeling elated. I had finally reached them again! Maybe I would be able to help them finish the fight—

Then I made it into the clearing and any feeling of elation I had disappeared without a trace.

A few feet away from the cave's entrance, both of my parents were lying on the ground next to each other. They both had blood on their clothes. My dad had a gash running down his left side, while my mom had one across her forehead.

Worse than that, neither of them was moving an inch.

I rushed over to my dad's side first, tears pouring from my eyes. I shook him, trying to get a reaction out of him, but there was none. I tried my mom next, only to get the same results.

How could this have happened? I wondered morosely before I remembered the Grimm. My head snapped up and I swiveled around, searching for any sign of the three Grimm they had been fighting. However, there was no sign of any of them. I didn't know if my parents had already defeated them and they dissolved, or the creatures had left after they...

I looked back at my parents, tears pouring out in cascades, before falling to my knees. I was so distraught that I didn't hear the rustling of bushes or the footsteps that were coming closer. What I did hear, though, was the roar of something I didn't want to encounter right now.

I turned around, and sure enough, there was an Ursa behind me. It growled before running toward me. When it was in front of me, it stood on its hind legs and thrust its arms forward. I raised my staff to defend myself, but I wasn't fast enough. The Ursa swatted the weapon out of my hands before slashing me across my face. I grimaced in pain as I held a hand to my face, feeling the blood on my cheek. The bear roared again before knocking me backward with the back of its paw.

My back hit the outside of the cave, knocking the wind out of me. As I struggled to regain my breath, I noticed the Ursa stalking forward, moving in to finish me off. I couldn't defend myself or fight back without my weapon, and it was way too far away for me to retrieve it in time. It looked like this was it for me...

It was at that moment that I noticed something strange happening to my body. I seemed to be...glowing. It was starting in my chest and spreading throughout my body. A roar from the Ursa reminded me that I was still in danger. I looked back up and saw the Ursa towering over me, getting ready to attack again. I closed my eyes and held my hands to my face, not wanting to see my end.

Unexpectedly, the glow surrounding my body shone brighter until it was blinding to both the Grimm and me.

Then there was silence.

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 **Poor Bolt. Now what could be happening to him? I know, of course, but I want to see what you guys think. Write down your thoughts in your reviews so I can see if anyone will get it right. Hint: Bolt's appearance has something to do with it.**

 **Tell me what you guys thought of this chapter. Keep in mind that this is only my first fanfiction, so please don't be too negative in your reviews.**

 **One last thing, I won't be able to update frequently, unfortunately. I have school and I was so excited to post this chapter that I haven't finished writing the next one. Updates may not come for months. I'm so sorry, but I'll do my best to make sure this story does not become discontinued. I was always so frustrated reading an excellent story, only to find that the author has stopped writing it. I don't want to be one of those authors. In the meantime, if you need something to read to pass the time, here are a few suggestions:**

 **The Master Challenge series by NoSignalBlueScreen - These stories are simply amazing! They're probably my favorite stories on Fanfiction. You have to check them out!**

 **Veritas Aequitas by BonesBoy15 - A Naruto/RWBY crossover. This story is hilarious! Something else you have to check out!**

 **RWBY watches Death Battle by epicvictory2025 - This story is exactly as the title suggests: Team RWBY watching the episodes of Death Battle. I think it's a story worth checking out!**

 **Alright, that's about it for now. I'll be seeing you all next time! Sparky D., out!**


	2. My Transformation

**A/N: Hey everyone! I'm so excited that I already have people favoriting and following me! So here's the second chapter, the next part of Bolt's past. This chapter will explain what happened to Bolt at the end of the first chapter and how he adjusts to it. Before we get this show on the road, I'd like to respond to some reviews:**

 **Austin: Believe it or not, that was my original idea, only I didn't include megas or pokemon from the Alola region. If Bolt could shapeshift into any pokemon he wanted, that would make him WAY too OP. So I decided to scrap that and make it the original aura-wielding pokemon, as you will soon read! Thank you for your nice words!**

 **Coral the Leviathan: That is an excellent guess! You are correct.**

 **: Um, sorry but I don't watch One Piece or Toriko. Not entirely sure what it is you're requesting, but Bolt's semblance will be revealed in this chapter. I hope you're not too disappointed.**

 **NoSignalBlueScreen: I'm sorry I was unable to answer your PM; it's just that the internet is bad (actually, that's an understatement) over here, so I wasn't able to check my account or my email. That little bit about what Bolt wears is just so that you readers will know what he looks like. I had originally planned to write the story in the first person, but then I thought it might be a little uninteresting if the whole story was written in Bolt's point of view, not to mention that there will be many parts of the story where he won't be present. So I decided to write the story in the third person, but flashbacks in the first person. Thank you for your positive comments and constructive criticism! Hope you enjoy this chapter :)!**

 **Now here is Chapter 2!**

 **Minor note: I forgot to add that when Bolt's weapon is in clawed gauntlet form, they have two fire symbols, one on each palm.**

 **Alright now, read and review!**

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Chapter 2 - My Transformation

I kept my eyes closed, sure that this was it for me, so I didn't see the bright light that ensued. After a few seconds of silence, I peeked an eye open to see if I was dead. Both of my eyes flew wide open at what I saw.

The Ursa was no longer towering over me; it was now at the other end of the clearing, clearly in pain. My first thought was, " _How did it get so far away?_ "

Then I caught sight of my hand still in front of my face, and my eyes grew wider. The hand in front of my face was no longer a hand, but a blue paw. I stared in shock for a few more seconds before checking my other hand. Sure enough, that one was also a paw. My second thought was, " _What happened to my hands?_ "

Then I spotted a bit of smoke coming from my right hand—er, paw. This made me wonder, " _Am_ I _the reason the Ursa ended up over there?_ "

Just then, the Ursa recovered and let out an outraged roar before returning its sights to me. It charged at me with killer intent. I held out my hand—er paw, hoping that whatever had happened before would happen again.

Nothing happened as the Ursa continued its charge.

Panicking, I started to rise, knowing that I had to escape, only to discover that my hands weren't the only things that changed. As it turned out, my feet had become paws as well while my legs appeared to have gotten smaller. I couldn't dwell on this for long as the bear was getting closer.

I shakily stood up before jumping to the side, higher than I had expected, and out of the way, resulting in the Ursa crashing headfirst into the cave wall and eliciting a roar of pain and annoyance from it. While it was recuperating a second time, I looked back at my hands—er, paws and legs. My legs were black and my paws were blue with a white bump on the back of each paw. All my limbs looked smaller than before and resembled that of a canine. I even felt something poking out of my butt and looked behind myself to see that I had a blue tail.

I took my attention off the changes in my body and looked back at the Ursa, observing for the first time that it seemed bigger than it did before. I also noticed that it had almost fully recovered. Realizing that now would be a perfect time to retreat, I turned to retrieve my weapon...only to find out that it was gone. I stared at the spot it had been in shock, then looked around frantically, trying to figure out where it had disappeared to, but another growl alerted me that the Ursa had come around once more.

I turned back toward it and stumbled back in surprise when I saw it towering over me again, but this time, it was bigger now that I appeared to have shrunk. The Ursa hurled its paw forward once more while I threw my arms up, hoping to shield myself against the blow.

Suddenly, something peculiar transpired: my body began to glow. Instead of the blue light from before, a red aura enveloped my body. When the Ursa's paw crashed down, I was barely moved back an inch. My astonishment didn't last long as I remembered it was still too close to me. I began struggling to push it away, and in the process, the red aura surrounding my body was swapped for a multicolored glow, and I felt my strength increase. I shoved at the bear Grimm and managed to push it back farther than I'd been expecting.

I stared at my paws again, this time in wonder. Only one word was going through my head: " _Wow._ " The power I had was incredible!

I looked at the Ursa, which was breathing heavily, and decided to try something. I pointed my paw at the Grimm and began to focus...and soon enough, I began to see a blue glow forming around my arm, from my elbow to my palm. I got excited and continued to concentrate until finally, a white blast fired out from my palm, hitting the Ursa square in the face. The resulting explosion blew the monster's head clean off its body, which fell lifelessly to the ground.

I stared in awe as the monster began to dissolve before a broad smile crossed my face and I jumped up and down in happiness. I had done it! I had killed my first Grimm! My joy dwindled when I remembered that my parents weren't able to see that. I looked back to them sadly, then at my paws. Since I was some dog-like creature, I figured it would be easier to bury them this way.

Once that was done, I decided to move on to the next order of business—finding out what I had become. Leaving the cave behind, I began to run. I noted with surprise that I seemed to have gotten faster in addition to being stronger and more durable. I continued running, looking for water so that I could see my reflection.

It took a while, about 5 minutes at most, but I finally found a river. I slowed down, walking up to the river and taking a look. What I saw made my eyes widen for the umpteenth time today.

In the water, I saw a small, blue dog. Strangely, this dog was standing on two legs instead of four. It also was standing on its toes rather than its whole foot. It had black legs and a black torso, as well as a black spot around its face that made it look like it was wearing a mask. The rest of its body was blue. Around its neck was what appeared to be a yellow collar. It had a pair of red eyes. A familiar pair of red eyes.

I blinked at the same time as the canine in the river. " _Is that...me?_ " I wondered. I couldn't deny it; the dog staring back at me was me. I looked back to my paws, trying to decide if this was freaky or cool. I had turned into some strange dog-like creature that was stronger, faster, and more durable than I had been when I was human and could shoot blasts from its palms...

Well, the more I thought about it, the more I decided to settle for cool.

The weirdest thing about my new appearance, however, seemed to be the two black appendages hanging from the end of my "mask." They couldn't be ears; those were on top of my head (something else I would apparently have to get used to). I had no idea what they were for, let alone what I _was_.

However, upon noticing the appendages, I also took note of the three scratches on my left cheek that I had received from the Ursa earlier. They had somehow healed and were now just faded scars. Curious, I also checked out my right arm and saw a long faded scar there as well. " _Does this form come with accelerated healing abilities too?_ " I thought.

Then I yawned, remembering that it was now nighttime. That made me realize that I had another problem: I had no idea how to leave this forest! My parents were the ones guiding me through the forest anytime we came here, and I was usually too filled with excitement to pay attention. So now I had no choice but to find somewhere safe to sleep in this forest. I was definitely going to have trouble finding my way out of this forest, and I would have even less of a chance finding my way out in the dark. So, with a resigned sigh, I got ready to search, only to hear a voice saying, " **Better get this over with.** "

I started at the sudden voice and looked around wildly, trying to find where it had come from. I saw nothing but trees all around. " **Maybe it was nothing.** "

I jumped again, hearing the voice once more. " **Where is that coming from?!** " I tried to exclaim, only to freeze when I realized that _I_ was the one saying all those things. Except they weren't coming out of my mouth, more like...my mind. Could I speak with my mind? I decided to give it another try.

" **Hello? Whoa...I can speak with my mind!** " I said in amazement before I yawned again. " **Oh right, gotta find somewhere to sleep. I better start looking.** "

I set off, searching for a suitable spot to sleep. After 10 minutes of searching, I found a hollow tree. Fortunately, there were no Grimm nearby. I stepped inside, observing that it was more than big enough for me to sleep in. I lay down, feeling slightly uncomfortable and more than a little lonely without my parents' presence close to me. It took some time, but I finally fell asleep.

* * *

I woke up the next morning wondering if the events of the previous nights were just a dream. I stretched, then looked at my body; seeing that I was still the dog creature I had seen yesterday, I figured it wasn't a dream. A feeling of sadness welled up inside me as I stood up and walked out of the tree.

The forest looked the same way it did last night, only now it was daytime. I stood in place, unsure of what to do now. Just then, my stomach put in its input when it rumbled. I decided that I needed to find food to eat, except I wasn't sure where to look.

I started wandering around, not knowing where I was going, but hoping to find something to eat. After half an hour, I finally came across a tree filled with round, blue berries. " _Great!_ " I thought. " _But how do I get some down?_ " I glanced at my paw and suddenly had an idea. With all the force I could muster, I slammed my paw into the tree.

The tree shook violently, dropping several berries to the ground. I smiled and picked up a few berries, quickly eating them and satisfying my hunger. I started to head back, but stopped; as an afterthought, I picked up as many berries as I could hold in my arms, with the intent of saving them for later. I managed to gather 8 berries before I couldn't carry anymore and began my way back to the tree I had slept in.

Once I got back, I stepped inside and deposited the berries on the ground. Then I wondered what to do next. After a few seconds of deliberation, I decided to follow my usual daily routine.

I sat down in preparation of my meditating. But as I began to meditate, I began to...feel was the best way to describe it. I started to feel other energies, some close to me, others farther away. The farther away they were from me, the fainter they were. This was all new to me, and yet it felt...natural.

My eyes were closed, and I was so focused on this new sensation that I didn't notice a familiar blue glow spreading throughout my body. I began to glow and I opened my eyes, only to close them again when the light became too bright.

After it had died down, I opened my eyes and was surprised at what I observed: my paws were replaced with hands, I was no longer covered with fur, and I was wearing clothes. I looked behind myself and saw that my tail had disappeared. I reached up and felt the top of my head, feeling my hairdo there but no ears; I continued to the back of my head and found that the black appendages had also vanished.

I was human again.

I blinked when I realized that the energies I had sensed before were still around me, just a lot fainter than before; I could still "see" them, though. I closed my eyes and began to concentrate, wanting to see if that would help. After a few seconds, it did; the auras became a bit clearer. I decided to check them out.

I stepped out of the tree and headed for the nearest one, about five feet away. It didn't take long to reach it. I opened my eyes and looked around, finally spotting a rabbit hopping along the ground. Fascinated, I closed my eyes again and tried focusing on the other auras I had felt. My efforts were successful as I sensed two other auras a few feet to my right. I eagerly made my way toward them and discovered two birds sitting in a tree.

" _Wow!_ " I thought. " _I can sense other auras around me!_ " I figured that this new ability must have something to do with the dog creature I had turned into; after all, I had never been able to do this before...

Then I remembered something: yesterday, when I had been searching for my parents, I had felt something that had led me to them. That sensation... could it have been their aura I had felt? If that was the case, then why had it disappeared-

My eyes widened as I remembered something my parents had told me when they were teaching me about aura. They had said that all _living_ things have aura, which meant that the aura had faded... because they died.

The thought made me tear up a bit. My parents had taught me everything I know. If they were still alive now, they might know about the dog creature I had turned into. As it was, they were no longer with me; this was something I was going to have to figure out on my own.

I felt a sudden urge to visit the place I buried them, so I retraced my steps and made it back to the tree I had slept in. I ate some of the berries I picked, deciding to save the rest for later, and set out, looking for the spot. It was a bit difficult to find since I had found my way to the tree while it was dark, but I did manage to find it. When I stepped into the clearing, my mouth dropped open in surprise.

A few feet away from my parents' graves, my bo staff was lying on the ground. It was in the same spot it had been in when the Ursa knocked it out of my hands. I scratched my head in confusion as I made my way over to it and picked it up; it definitely hadn't been there yesterday when I was fighting the Ursa. Why was it there now?

A thought occurred to me: I had been fighting the Ursa as the dog creature when my weapon vanished. It wasn't like I had _needed_ a weapon then; I had been able to handle it just fine. Maybe that was why it had disappeared? This made me wonder if it were possible to activate that other form again. Maybe it was even my Semblance! That would be so awesome! I wasn't sure how to do it, though; yesterday, it had just... happened. I had no idea how I would make it happen again.

Before I could think on this any further, I heard and saw a rustling in the bushes in front of me. I got on my guard and prepared to fight if a Grimm jumped out. After a few seconds, a Grimm did walk out. This one was easily distinguishable by its wolf appearance. " _A Beowolf,_ " I thought. It was flanked by two other Beowolves. All three were growling at me. " _Okay, Bolt. You can do this,_ " I thought. All three Beowolves ran toward me and lunged. I jumped back to avoid their assault. The one in front recovered first and jumped toward me again. Instead of evading it, I let it get closer. Then, mustering up all of my strength, I swung my staff, hitting it in the chest and sending it flying into one of the others.

The third Beowolf rushed at me unhindered; I narrowed my eyes at its advance before shifting my staff into clawed gauntlets. They finished reforming just as the Beowolf slashed at me. I ducked under its swipe and slashed horizontally at its waist, effectively cutting it in half.

As the halves were dissolving, one of the two remaining Beowolves lunged at me next. I slid underneath it, slicing off its leg in the process, and stood up, just as the other scratched at me. I ducked, causing its swing to take off a few strands of hair, and threw my right hand up, sending my clawed gauntlet into the bottom of its jaw. The blade went through the top of its head, killing it. I pulled my hand back, letting the dead wolf fall to the ground, and turned back to the remaining Beowolf.

It was dragging itself toward me, growling all the while. Wanting to end this quickly, I simply decapitated it. I watched the three Grimm dissolve until there was nothing left.

" _Well, that wasn't too difficult,_ " I thought, panting lightly. Then I heard the sound of more growling. I turned around to see five more Beowolves stalking toward me. " _You've got to be kidding me._ " All five began to run toward me.

I turned and started to run in the opposite direction. Sure, I managed to hold my own against three Beowolves, but against five, I was too outnumbered. To my dismay, the Beowolves started chasing after me.

I knew I wouldn't be able to outrun the Grimm; they were much faster than I was. In fact, they were gaining on me rapidly. I grimaced as the sounds of their footsteps continued to grow louder as they got closer and tried to run faster. However, it was in vain. The only thing I could think of to do was to try and become the dog creature again. If it really was my Semblance, I might be able to do it. If not, then... well, I tried not to think about that.

I closed my eyes and began to concentrate, trying to block out the sounds of the Beowolves catching up to me. I focused hard... and to my surprise, aura began to build up in my chest. I watched in awe as my aura spread throughout my entire body before glowing radiantly, compelling me to stop running and shield my eyes. Fortunately, the wolves were forced to stop running as well.

When the light faded, I opened my eyes and observed with delight that I was, once again, the dog creature from yesterday and this morning. I also took note of the fact that my clawed gauntlets were no longer on my arms.

With renewed confidence, I turned back to the Beowolves, which were staring at me in an uncertain way. I dashed up to one of them and placed my palm on its head before unleashing a blast of energy that left a hole in its head. The monster fell over backward, dead.

I landed on the ground, then jumped back to evade the assault from two of the other wolves. I charged at one of them, and as I did, a bright white light encompassed me. I could only wonder why that had happened for a second before suddenly I felt myself moving twice as fast than before. With this unexpected speed boost, I plowed into the Beowolf I had been charging, sending both of us into a tree. Thankfully, the Grimm had softened the crash for me, so I got back on my feet a lot quicker than it did.

I turned back to the other 3 Beowolves and saw 2 of them charging at me. I crossed my arms in front of my face, trying to summon the red aura that had helped me yesterday. My focus paid off as it appeared, and I took the attacks from the two Beowolves with little trouble. Once it faded, I took off toward one of them. This time, instead of the multicolored glow, my fist began to glow white and I delivered an uppercut so powerful, it sent the monster sky-high.

" _Whoa,_ " I thought. " _Something_ else _I didn't know I could do._ "

I was pulled from my thoughts when I heard the Beowolf that I had not attacked growl at me. It took a swipe at me as I turned in its direction.

Reacting quickly, I shielded my face and brought up the red aura again to take the hit. Once it hit, I was sent sliding back a few feet, but no real damage was done. I uncrossed my arms and got ready to attack it, but another growl caught my attention. I turned and saw that the Beowolf I had crashed into was on its feet again. It growled once more before swinging a paw in my direction.

I crossed my arms again and managed to summon the red aura... only for it to fade a couple of seconds later.

" **Huh?!** " I shouted in shock before I was knocked backward, and this time, I _did_ feel pain. I got back to my feet, wincing.

" _What happened? Why did it fade?_ " I wondered. I refocused on the four Beowolves; they were all advancing toward me. " _Guess I can't rely on it too often,_ " I thought as all four of them began to run toward me. I charged at them as well, intent on using the uppercut attack I had just performed. However, instead of the white glow, my fist began to gleam a light blue color and seemed to get colder. I was caught off-guard, so much that I accidentally tripped and hit the ground. To my utter surprise, _ice_ began to spread across the ground, freezing a wide section. All four Beowolves slipped on the ice and began sliding toward me.

I stared at my paw in confusion. How was this possible? One of the things my parents taught me was Dust. They had told me about how it was discovered and the different forms it had: its normal dust form and the form of dust crystals. There was no way this form had control over Dust, was there?

I took my attention off of my paw long enough to notice them and hurriedly jumped into the air to avoid them. As they passed under me, I aimed my paws at two of them, hoping to do something I was familiar with. Fortunately, the familiar blue glow formed around my forearms, and I fired two blasts from my palms. The blasts connected with two of the Beowolves' heads, blowing them off and leaving two Beowolves left.

The two monsters rushed at me while I was descending and were practically upon me when I reached the ground. It seemed as if I would get hit when suddenly, my eyes began to glow green and I began dodging their swipes with heightened speed. After dodging a few swipes, I decided that I needed to stop their onslaught, so I threw my leg out, striking one of the Beowolves' own legs and causing it to fall on its face.

I turned to the other wolf and saw it trying to attack me again. I let the green light fill my eyes again and narrowly ducked under its swing before jumping back to escape its assault. I thrust my paw forward, and as I did, it began to shine a bright red color. I didn't have time to wonder what that meant before I was rocketed forward with intense. The Beowolf had no time to react before it was punched hard in the face and flew through the air. It collided with a tree and slumped to the ground, unmoving.

" _Wow,_ " I mused. " _A lot of other moves I didn't know I could use._ "

Unfortunately, I was so caught up in my thoughts that I didn't notice the last Beowolf get back up. I didn't notice it until I felt a sharp pain in my back. I staggered forward, then whirled around and realized the Grimm had slashed me. I grit my teeth in anger before my body was abruptly covered in a blue aura. Three blue orbs began to rotate around my body, starting from my injury and ending at my right paw. I clenched that paw before throwing it into the Beowolf's face, sending it flying into a different tree, finally taking it out.

Now that the battle was finally finished, I slouched over, panting wearily. I looked around at the dissolving bodies of the Grimm and let out a tired chuckle.

I had won.

Then I thought back to the battle and all the moves I had used. From what I could gather, this form seemed to focus on speedy movements and powerful punches and kicks. However, it seemed this form wasn't too great at taking hits, evident by how tired I felt despite only get hit twice.

I wouldn't let this get me down. If this form really was my Semblance, I would have to learn how to access it at any time. I would also have to train it and find out what else I could do in this form.

Still, just because I had this form, it didn't mean I should use it in every fight I got into. I also needed to continue training while I was human so that I would only have to use this form as a last resort.

Either way, I would continue to improve, both as human and in this form. I would continue to wipe out the creatures of Grimm; I had seen firsthand how dangerous they were. They needed to be exterminated entirely; it would help people live comfortably in the long run.

But most importantly, I would keep getting stronger until the day I became a full-fledged Huntsman, and then beyond.

I would make sure of that.

* * *

 **Whew! I've finally finished this chapter! I hope you guys enjoyed the fights in this chapter! I want to see how many of you can name all the moves that Bolt used as Riolu in this chapter! They will be written out at the beginning of next chapter.**

 **Now, I must apologize for how long it took to get this posted. I actually finished writing this chapter weeks ago, but I was unable to type it. I normally type my story on a computer, and all the computers in my house are currently broken or off-limits. My next option was my phone, but now that's broken too. My last option was my brother's phone. That is where I ended up typing this chapter, but his phone has a small screen and the keyboard is tiny. So please forgive me for how long it took to post this. I hope this chapter makes up for it. On the bright side, this delay gave me more time to work on Chapter 3!**

 **Speaking of Chapter 3, I'm really excited about this chapter! Why? Because it introduces my favorite character in RWBY! There will also be another fight next chapter. If you guys liked the battle in this chapter, then you'll love the one in the next chapter! It will be, in my opinion, a lot more epic.**

 **I also hope you like the twist I added with Bolt's weapon disappearing whenever he activates his Semblance. There will be another unexpected twist next chapter (at least I hope you don't expect it, if anyone can guess what it is, I'll be really impressed) concerning Bolt's abilities.**

 **Now, my friend NoSignalBlueScreen (at least I hope we're friends) left some things in their review that I was actually planning on explaining at the end of this chapter. I'd like to say first, though, you have no need to worry. I don't mind criticism as long as it's helpful and delivered in a nice way.**

 **First, Bolt's hair color is blue because he will be a future member of Team RWBY (you know, in case it wasn't obvious from the title) and the first letter of Team RWBY's hair color matches the first letter of their name. It's also a reference to Riolu's blue fur, and Riolu's red eyes are the reason why Bolt has red eyes.**

 **Bolt's new abilities might make him seem OP, but remember that no one is invincible, and Bolt is no exception. He'll have weaknesses, if this chapter is any indication, and it will be even more apparent after he evolves (oops, spoilers :)).**

 **Bolt's parents are dead because I wanted him to learn about his Semblance, and then train it, on his own. Bolt losing his parents at the young age of 10 is a reference to how, in the Pokemon world, trainers leave their homes at age 10 to travel on their own journeys and train pokemon by themselves.**

 **Also, Bolt can use telepathy because I wanted him to be able to communicate with others using English. It would have been annoying if all he could say was "Riolu."**

 **Now I'll finish this insanely long A/N with some more story recommendations:**

 **Mirai Saiyans by AntiHero627 - The author of this story happens to be my older brother! This is sort of a thank you to him for letting me use his phone to type this chapter. For those of you who have read about the time Gohan met Babidi in DB Multiverse, this story is a continuation of that. You should read it and review; the poor guy needs more reviews!**

 **Five Elements by AntiHero627 - Another one of my brother's stories! This is an interesting crossover between DBZ and Avatar: The Last Airbender, where ki is also am element. Read this story too!**

 **Liar, Liar by Sally B. Mcgill - A great Miraculous Ladybug one-shot (may become a two-shot) written by my sister! It's superb, so go check it out!**

 **And an extra one:**

 **A Champion's Revival by EeveeKitty - An excellent Pokemon fanfiction where Ash leaves Pallet Town to train and then comes back a few years later for a tournament. It's actually way better than I make it sound because I'm not so good with summaries. Read this story!**

 **And that's that! I'm still in school, so updates won't be out quickly, but I've already started Chapter 3, so it MIGHT be out sooner than this one.**

 **Read and review! Sparky D., out!**


	3. My First Friends

**A/N: Hey everyone! Hope you're all ready for another awesome chapter, 'cause here's Chapter 3! This chapter is the longest of the story so far, even longer than Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 combined. As I promised, there will be a fight in this chapter, and I'll go ahead and tell you that it's the one from the Yellow Trailer.**

 **I'm ecstatic to see that more people favorited, followed, and reviewed my story, though I'm a little disappointed that no one tried to list the moves Bolt used in the last chapter. Like I promised, here are all the moves he used, in the order he used them (there were ten different moves in total):**

 **Against the Ursa: Force Palm, Endure, and Counter.**

 **Against the Beowolves: Force Palm, Quick Attack, Endure, Sky Uppercut, Ice Punch, Detect, Low Kick, Bullet Punch, and Reversal.**

 **Now, I am aware that Riolu can't naturally learn all of these moves. However, I'm giving him all of the moves he can use naturally, and the ones he can learn via Breeding and Tutor, though some won't be unlocked until he evolves. The second unexpected twist I spoke of last chapter will be revealed in this one! Also, I'd like to give you all a heads up that I'm not too good at writing romance, so sorry if it seems unsatisfactory. Before we move on to the chapter, I'll answer last chapter's reviews:**

 **Christopherprime22 - Me either! Does this chapter answer your question?**

 **\- I'm sorry, I am having a lot of trouble understanding what you wrote. From what I understand, you think I should have made Bolt a Faunus with Riolu traits and the ability to manipulate aura as his Semblance. Well, I have a reason for making it the way I did, but I can't really explain it until much later in the story. If you want to abandon this story, it's fine. To each his/her own. Also, I'm sorry, but every time I type your name, it disappears.  
**

 **NoSignalBlueScreen - Thank you! I thought it would be comical to add.**

 **Now without further ado, here is Chapter 3!**

* * *

 **Chapter 3 - My First Friends**

For the next 7 years, I continued my training in the Emerald Forest. I spent my days training, meditating, and killing Grimm.

I thought back to what my parents taught me and continued to progress in training with my weapon until, after a few years, I was proficient in wielding it. I gave it the name Blitzblazer.

As for my Semblance, I carried on training that, too. After 6 months, I had perfected the ability to change forms at will. I learned a lot about my new form. I learned how to use the moves I had used against the Beowolves and the Ursa voluntarily, and found out a lot of other moves I could use.

That wasn't all that came with my new form. Whenever I activated my Semblance, I gained some sort of... aura sensor. I could sense other auras that were nearby. While my range started off small the first time I used it, I managed to increase it gradually through a combination of training and meditation. I could now sense other auras from several feet away. It also seemed to carry over when I turned human, only the range wasn't as wide.

After two years, my prowess at sensing auras had grown so much that one day, while I was walking through the forest, I sensed a few auras, scattered but close together. Curious, I headed in that direction. I was completely surprised when, 5 minutes later, I stumbled out of the forest. I looked around in astonishment at the absence of trees around me before focusing on what was ahead of me.

"A city," I breathed in amazement as I ran toward it.

Once I got in, I stopped and took a look around. I recognized this city; my parents brought me here when I was 8 to buy books on Grimm, aura, and weapons, as well as a bag to hold them in. They told me about the cities and informed me that this one was the city of Vale. There were different kinds of stores and other buildings, and lots of people were walking about. They were probably the auras I had sensed.

Then I spotted a weapons store. I could tell from the swords, shields, and other weapons on display on the windows. I figured that it must also have sheaths, and a sheath for Blitzblazer would be convenient, as I wouldn't have to carry it around all the time. I started walking toward it, but I stopped as I remembered that items in stores cost money, something I didn't have. I was downcast at first, but then I realized something else.

I ran out of Vale and back to the Emerald Forest. Rather than go in, I walked along the edge, going around the forest. I kept going until, 10 minutes later, I found the familiar path that led to my house. Wanting to get there quickly, I transformed into the dog creature before letting a white glow surround me. I had ascertained from my training that this move greatly increased my already impressive speed, allowing me to attack with more power. With my speed boost, I zoomed down the path.

5 minutes later, I arrived at my house. I gave a small smile as I walked inside.

Everything looked the same way it had looked when I had left with my parents. I wandered through my house before stopping in my room. I went up to my closet and found my blue satchel. I pulled the strap over my shoulder and left my room.

I entered my parents' room next and began rummaging through it. A couple of minutes later, I got to their dresser and found a jar filled with lien. I picked it up and placed it in my bag. " _After all,_ " I thought sadly, " _it's not like they'll need it anymore._ " With that, I left my house and sped back to the forest.

As soon as I made it back, I changed back to human and walked around the forest again. When the city came into view once more, I ran toward it. Once I entered, I made a beeline for the weapons store I had seen earlier and went inside.

The interior was black and red, and there was an abundance of different weapons and other equipment. I stood unmoving at first, simply in awe as I took it all in. The sound of someone clearing their throat got my attention, and I turned to my right. There was an old guy wearing a red apron over a green shirt standing behind a counter. He smiled kindly when I came over.

"Welcome to Weapons Emporium! Is this your first time here?" he asked. I nodded. "Well, what can I do for you?"

"Um..." I trailed off uncertainly. "I just need a sheath for my staff."

"Sheaths are in Aisle 7," he told me, then pointed toward one of the aisles. "Just go down there, and you'll find them."

I thanked him and did as he instructed. Once I reached Aisle 7, I took a look around. There were various kinds of sheaths for various weapons. I began searching for a suitable one to use. After a few minutes of searching, I found one I liked. It was green and had a strap that would allow me to wear it on my back. It was also six inches shorter than my staff, which I decided was necessary since it would make it easier to pull out of its sheath when I needed to use it. With that in mind, I brought my selection to the old man.

"An interesting choice!" he said. "That'll be 100 lien."

After paying, I walked out of the store with Blitzblazer settled in its brand-new sheath. I decided to explore the city before I headed back to the forest to continue training.

I walked around town, mostly sightseeing. I got a lot of strange looks from passersby, so I figured that I was probably a unique sight. I gazed at the assorted stores as I passed by them. There were dust shops, food stands, clothing boutiques—

I stopped and walked back to stand in front of the clothing store I passed. I looked down at my clothes and decided that I could use some new clothes; after all, these were bound to become too small for me. I stepped into the boutique.

The inside of this building was mostly white; the color came from the assortment of clothes that were arranged all around. I began browsing through the clothes before finding the ones I liked ( **A/N:** **the ones mentioned at the beginning of Chapter 1, minus the gloves** ). I made sure to get 3 of each article of clothing.

I took my choices to the paying counter, where I encountered a surprise: the old man I had seen at the weapons store was here too! At first, I was confused; wasn't he supposed to be working at the weapons store? Why was he here now? However, a closer look at his aura revealed that he actually wasn't the same person. The auras were similar, but not identical. I walked up to the man.

"Have you finished your shopping?" he asked.

"Uh, yeah," I answered. "You look a lot like the man who works at Weapons Emporium."

The old man smiled and reached under the counter for something. "I get that a lot, young man. I come from a large family of brothers, and we're all identical. A few of my brothers and I stayed and opened up some shops here in Vale, while my other brothers work in the different kingdoms." He brought his hand up, and in it was a picture frame of about 15 men who all looked exactly alike. He pointed to one of them. "This is me," he said before he pointed to another man. "And here is my brother, the one who works at Weapons Emporium."

"That's interesting," I remarked before putting my choices on the counter.

"Altogether, this will be 300 lien," he informed me. I paid the amount and placed the clothes in my satchel. "Have a nice day!" he said as I was leaving. I turned back and smiled before exiting the boutique.

Now that I had my new supplies, I decided it was now appropriate to head back to the Emerald Forest. I went back to return to my training.

* * *

Ever since my impromptu trip into the city, I made more and more stops there. Every two years, I would go back to buy new clothes; although, I just bought my usual outfit but in a bigger size each time. The fingerless gloves were added in once I turned 16.

Aside from my biennial stops, I occasionally visited the city. I took delight in getting out of the forest and heading into civilization, even if it was just to sightsee. As it turned out, these visits led to me finally getting answers about my Semblance.

Besides sightseeing and buying clothes, another reason I went into town was to look for answers. I found a library (which was also run by another brother of the old man's) and tried to find anything I could to explain what exactly my Semblance turned me into. Unfortunately, I had made no progress whatsoever.

A few days after I turned 17, I wandered into Vale again, intent on heading back to the library to look for information. On my way there, I passed two men having a conversation. I would've disregarded their discussion, but I overheard one of them say something interesting. "And you're sure he can help?" asked the first guy.

"Yes; how many times do I have to tell you?" the other guy replied in a slightly exasperated tone. "Junior knows everything." This was what caught my attention. I walked back over to the two men.

"Excuse me?" I said, trying to get their attention. When they turned to me, I continued. "I couldn't help but overhear your conversation. Is there really a guy who knows everything?"

"Yeah," the second guy answered. "His name's Junior. He owns a club on the other side of the city and, like I said before, he knows everything. If you have a question, go to him."

" _That's fascinating,_ " I thought. Maybe this Junior person would be able to answer my question! "Could you give me directions on how to get there, please?"

* * *

After a quick journey back into the forest to pick up my satchel, I found myself standing across the street from the club that Junior owned 10 minutes later. The directions that the man gave me brought me to a part of Vale that seemed... shadowy. It was as if light couldn't reach this side of town.

I closed my eyes and activated my aura sense. There were a lot of auras in this building. Some of them were good; others... not so much.

" _Well, here goes nothing,_ " I thought. I hoped he would be able to answer my question. I began crossing the road, my eyes still closed as I was still focused on the auras in the building.

However, when I was halfway across the street, I became aware of another aura, only this one was separate from all of the others I sensed. I stopped walking to focus on this new aura.

Unlike most of the ones I sensed in the club, this aura felt pure. It was moving very fast, so I figured this person either had super speed or was riding on a vehicle. The aura seemed to be heading in the direction of... wait...

Then I remembered where I was standing.

Oh, snap.

Immediately, my eyes flew open and, acting instinctively, I jumped into the air, performing a backflip. Fortunately, I had reacted in the nick of time, as, not a second later, a motorcycle drove past where I was standing a moment ago. In the brief moment I was upside down, I saw a flash of yellow, before it passed me completely.

When I landed on the ground, I stared at the motorcycle for a few more moments before continuing toward the club. " _I guess this part of the city isn't_ completely _abandoned,_ " I thought.

I stopped in front of the entrance to the club, wondering how I was going to find out who inside the building was Junior. I hadn't thought to ask the man for a description, as the possibility of getting answers about my Semblance had taken over the forefront of my mind, and I'd never met him before, so I had no idea which aura was his. I considered asking someone inside the club, but with all of the impure auras inside, I decided that wasn't the best idea.

My pondering was cut short when I sensed an aura approaching me. I realized this aura belonged to the person on the motorcycle.

"Hey!" the person - obviously a girl, which I could tell from her voice - called out to me. She continued talking as I turned toward her. "Are you okay? Why were you standing in the middle of the road?"

I prepared to answer her when I was fully facing her, but the words died in my throat when I got a good look at her.

The girl looked to be around my age and was just as tall as me. She had long, blonde hair, which explained the flash of yellow I saw, light-colored skin, and lilac eyes. She was wearing a tan vest with puffy sleeves over a yellow top, a brown belt over a white back skirt, and black shorts. She wore an orange scarf around her neck and had on brown, knee-high boots and orange socks. There was a gray bandana wrapped around her left leg. To top it off, she also wore black fingerless gloves and what appeared to be gold bracelets.

All in all? She was _stunning_ , and at first I couldn't answer for a few seconds.

"Hello?" the blonde said again, waving her hand in front of my face, snapping me out of my trance. She appeared to still be waiting for an answer to her earlier questions, but I could feel slight amusement emanating from her. My cheeks turned red with embarrassment.

"Oh, right, um..." I responded, trying to cool down my cheeks. "I was a bit... distracted."

"By what?" she asked, her amusement dying down and curiosity taking its place.

I hesitated. This girl seemed nice, but she was still just a stranger. I decided not to tell her about my abilities, at least not yet. Instead, I told her about my current predicament.

"I have a question I want to ask someone in this building," I said, motioning to Junior's club. "His name is Junior. But I've never been to a club before, so I don't really know what to expect. Also, I don't know what Junior looks like, so I'm not sure who inside this building is him," I finished sheepishly.

The girl grinned. "Well then, today's your lucky day! I've got a question to ask Junior as well, and I know who he is! Just follow my lead when we get in."

I brightened up. "Really? Thanks! What's your name?"

"Yang Xiao Long," the girl, now known as Yang, introduced herself. "How about you?"

"My name's Bolt Burns," I answered.

"Hmm... I like it!" she said, causing me to blush again. "Well, let's get going, B.B.!" She marched ahead of me.

"B.B.?" I questioned. After a moment, I shrugged and followed after her.

The hallway was a bit dark (not that that was a problem for me), but gradually got brighter as we got closer to the end. When we reached the doors at the end, Yang pushed them open, and I got my first look at the inside of a club.

The interior was red, white, and black. Lights were flashing all over the place. There was a considerable number of people in here; most of them were dancing, and when I looked for the source of the music, I saw a guy wearing a bear head acting as the DJ. In addition, there were a lot of other people dressed in black clothing, red ties, and red sunglasses. All of those guys eyed us suspiciously as we walked by them.

Yang seemed oblivious to them, striding forward with confidence while I followed behind uncertainly. After a bit more walking, Yang gazed to her left, prompting me to do the same. Standing near a counter were two men and two girls. The girls had black hair, and one of the men had black hair as well, while the other had red hair. One of the girls was dressed in a white dress while the other had on a red dress.

The redhead was wearing a white coat, black pants, and a bowler hat. He was also holding a cane. The black-haired man was clothed in black pants, a white shirt under a black vest, and a red tie. As we watched, the redhead turned and walked away, leaving the other man alone with the girls.

Without warning, Yang changed direction, heading for the three at the counter. I followed after her, puzzled. Upon noticing us approach, the man gestured for the two girls to leave, though the girl in white seemed reluctant to do so. " _Is this man Junior?_ " I wondered.

Once we reached his side, he didn't appear to notice us. Yang glanced at the man before addressing the bartender. "Strawberry Sunrise, no ice. Oh, and one of those little umbrellas!" I had no idea what that was and was about to ask her about it, but the man next to us spoke up.

"Aren't you a little young to be in this club, Blondie?" he asked.

Yang laughed. "Aren't you a little old to have a name like Junior?" she retorted.

"This is Junior?" I asked.

"That's right," Yang confirmed. Junior looked at me with a raised eyebrow.

"Is this your boyfriend or something?" he inquired.

My cheeks turned pink at his question, and I opened my mouth to answer, but the blonde spoke up again. "Nah, he's just my friend." At this, the pink tinge faded and I stared at her in surprise. We had only met a few minutes ago and we were already friends? The thought made me smile. "Do you want to ask your question first?" she asked me.

"Oh, sure," I said. Junior turned his attention back to me. I thought about how to ask the question, as I didn't want to reveal my Semblance to him. After some thought, I began to speak. "A few years ago, I was walking through the Emerald Forest when I saw something... unfamiliar. It looked like a dog but it was blue and black, and it walked on two legs. The weirdest part was that it could use aura! Do you have any idea what this creature could be?"

I gazed at Junior once I finished and saw that he was giving me a strange look. This perplexed me; he looked as though he didn't understand what I had asked. His next statement confirmed this.

"Sorry kid, can't help you," he said.

I blinked. "You... can't help me?"

"Nope," he responded. "I've never heard of anything like what you just described."

"But I thought you were supposed to know everything," I said, mystified. If he didn't, then why would that guy say he did?

"I know everything in Vale," Junior explained in a bored tone. "My connections don't go past there, so I have no idea what it is you're talking about."

I frowned in disappointment. I didn't really understand what he meant about connections, but he was just as clueless as I was about what my alternate form was. " _Guess that means I'm still searching for answers,_ " I thought. " _This was a complete waste of time._ "

"A word of advice, kid," he added. "Try not to take everything you hear too literally."

I shot him a glare before letting out a dejected sigh and turning to Yang. "I guess it's your turn now," I told her.

"Aw, don't feel bad, B.B.! Besides," she said, leaning in closer and dropping her voice to a whisper, "you didn't ask him right."

I tilted my head in confusion. "I didn't?"

"Nope!" Yang replied cheerfully. "Just watch and learn!" She turned back to Junior. "I have something to ask too, Junior!"

He sighed. "What do you want to know, Blondie?"

"Well, first..." she began, putting her finger on his chest and running it down. "How about, instead of Blondie, you just call me sir!" On her last word, she reached out and grabbed his groin. Junior's eyes bugged out as his face warped into a mixture of surprise and pain.

My eyes went wide at the sight as well. " _This is the right way to ask a question?_ " I wondered.

Yang pulled a device - a Scroll, I recognized, as both of my parents had one - out of her pocket. "Now tell me where I can find this woman," she continued, her tone changing from playful to serious. Her Scroll turned on to reveal a picture of a lady with black hair.

Junior glimpsed at the picture before responding. "I've never seen her before! Honest!" His voice came out high-pitched, probably because of the pain.

"Excuse me?" she said, tightening her grip.

He flinched. "Honest, sir!"

All of the men dressed in black came running over to the three of us. I could only assume they were bodyguards, because they surrounded us and leveled their weapons in our direction.

"Um, Yang?" I said nervously.

Yang glanced at the guards and turned back to Junior, smiling. "Hmmm, looks like we have an audience. This must be kind of embarrassing for you, huh? Awkward." It was strange; she didn't look worried, and there was no trace of fear in her aura.

"Listen Blondie, sir, if you and your friend want to make it out of this club alive, I suggest you let me go. Now!" Junior ordered. Fortunately for him, Yang complied, and he exhaled deeply. "You'll pay for that," he said, his voice now back to normal. He began walking away, pulling out a pair of red sunglasses and putting them on as he did. Yang followed after him, and I went after her. The guards also began to walk after us, still keeping us surrounded.

"Oh Junior, I was just playing with you! Don't be so sensitive!" Yang said, her tone reverting to playful. "Come on, let's kiss and make up, okay?" At this, Junior stopped and looked back at her, baffled.

For some reason, this bothered me. I wasn't sure why, but I didn't like the thought of her kissing another guy. However, I could sense mischief in her aura, so I figured she was probably planning on deceiving him. I was proven right when, after Junior had leaned in almost all the way, Yang suddenly shot back and threw her fist forward into his face. He was punched through a pillar and crashed into a wall, where he sat dazed.

While a small part of me was relieved that they didn't go through with the kiss, and a slightly larger part of me had admittedly enjoyed seeing that happen, the rest of me was staring at the blonde with wide eyes. " _She just effortlessly punched a grown man through a pillar!_ " I thought. " _How strong_ is _this girl?_ "

If that wasn't impressive enough, the two golden bracelets on her wrists suddenly expanded into gauntlets. These gauntlets covered her entire forearm, from her elbow to the back of her hand. Yang cocked her weapon and I noticed an orange shell pop out from both gauntlets.

At that moment, all of the guards began running toward her. Yang responded by jumping high into the air and aiming her fist toward the ground; I watched as her fist seemed to catch on fire. For a second, I wondered what she was doing, but after reading her movements, I realized what she was planning.

" _Oh snap!_ " I thought before jumping into the air. It was just in time as, not a second later, Yang punched the ground so hard that she created a small earthquake that knocked all of the guards off their feet.

I landed back on the ground, completely unharmed. "A warning would've been nice," I muttered as I turned to Yang. Upon seeing her, though, my breath caught in my throat. She stood confident and tall and appeared to have fire all around her. She winked in my direction before leaping toward one of the guards and defeating him with one kick.

I watched as she proceeded to pummel any of the guards who tried to attack her. I observed that her gauntlets seemed to release a pulse of energy whenever she threw a punch.

Only one word was going through my head as I watched her fight: " _Amazing._ "

However, as I was watching Yang fight, my aura sense alerted me that one of the guards was sneaking up on me. I grabbed my staff and waited until he was close enough. Once he was, I sidestepped to the right, letting the guy's ax hit the floor, then turned and twirled my staff before swinging it into his chest, launching him into another guard. They both collapsed in a heap.

"Sneak attacks don't work on me," I said with narrowed eyes before getting into a fighting stance. The other guards looked at each other before rushing toward me.

The first one to reach me swung his ax at me, but I dodged to the side and jabbed him in the gut with my staff, causing him to drop to his knees. I took him out by spinning my staff and whacking him on the back of his head. The second guy charged at me with his ax raised, but I stopped him in his tracks with a jab to the head before snapping a kick to his chest, sending him flying into a pillar. The next guy tried to slash me with his sword, but I leaned back to avoid his attack. I spun and elbowed him in the gut before following up with an uppercut and kicking him back to the ground.

As I landed, I sensed another guard trying to attack me from behind. Reacting quickly, I spun around and blocked his sword with my staff.

"Maybe you didn't learn from the first guy!" I said, deflecting his blade to the side and delivering a spinning kick that sent him flying into a pillar.

I turned back to Yang and saw her fighting a couple of guys, although it wasn't much of a fight as they were no match for her. However, while she was dispatching them, I sensed another aura higher up in the club. I turned in that direction and noticed the DJ that I had seen earlier. He was pulling out a gun and aiming for Yang, obviously intending to shoot her. I narrowed my eyes and ran in her direction. I wouldn't let him hurt my friend!

I reached Yang just as she took down the last guard and slid to a stop in front of her, just as the DJ began to fire. I intercepted his attack by twirling my staff, deflecting the bullets with ease, which caught Yang's attention.

"Thanks, B.B.!" she said gratefully. She then proceeded to jump out from behind me and raced toward the DJ. He tried to shoot her, but she swiftly dodged the bullets.

" _Whoa,_ " I thought. " _She's pretty quick on her feet._ " I watched as she used the recoil from her weapon to help her jump higher into the air, reaching the enemy and kicking him in the face. She followed that up by elbowing him in the gut, slamming his head against his stand, and punching him off the platform he was standing on. He flew over my head and hit the ground, unconscious.

I turned to face him, and then took notice of two girls who were standing near him. I

discerned that these were the same girls who were with Junior when we arrived. Now that I could see their faces, I observed that they both had the same eye color - light green - as well as hair color. I figured they were most likely twins. The girl in red was wearing a pair of red and black claws on her wrists.

"Melanie, who are these people?" she asked.

"I don't know, Miltia, but we should teach them a lesson," the girl in white, Melanie, replied.

I looked to Yang to see her reaction, but she was still smiling. There was still no worry in her aura, just confidence. I watched as a part of her gauntlets opened up and deposited the used shells. Yang followed up by pulling out two new sets of shells that were red with golden tips. She tossed them up and let them land perfectly in her gauntlets. " _That was an impressive way to reload her weapon,_ " I thought, amazed.

With her gauntlets reloaded, Yang sprang forward and actually fired them from her gauntlets, even though she was still a considerable distance away, which amazed me further.

However, these girls were clearly far more skilled than the guards we fought earlier. They evaded her assault by backflipping away, then ran in two different directions. Yang continued to fire more shots, but the twins were nimble on their feet, dodging or diverting her attacks while simultaneously moving in closer to her. Melanie landed in front of Yang and threw a kick at her, but Yang blocked it with her gauntlet. She retaliated by firing another shell at her, only for Melanie to deflect it again while Miltia rushed forward.

Meanwhile, I was having an internal struggle, as my desire to help my friend was conflicting with the fact that I had never fought a girl before. However, upon seeing Yang start to get overwhelmed, my desire to help her won out and I rushed forward to engage the twins. I reached them just as they knocked Yang back.

I attacked Miltia first, swinging my staff at her head, but she blocked it with one of her claws while throwing her other one at my face. I leaned to the side to dodge it before leaning back, narrowly avoiding Melanie's follow-up kick. I scrutinized her shoe and realized that the heel was actually a blade, which explained why she was fighting with kicks.

" _So that's how they fight,_ " I thought. " _One fights with her arms while the other uses her legs, allowing them to work in tandem to overpower their foes!_ "

My thoughts were cut short when I ducked to evade another swipe from Miltia before jumping back to avoid an overhead kick from Melanie. I found myself unable to attack, only able to dodge, as the sisters were beginning to overwhelm me with their onslaught. I was finding it harder and harder to dodge their attacks, so I did the next best thing: block.

I crossed my arms, with my staff under them, and summoned the familiar red aura, just as the twins landed a double attack on me. I was pushed back to where Yang was now standing. I uncrossed my arms and glared at the girls, who looked visibly surprised at what I had pulled off.

Yang seemed surprised, too. "How did you do that?" she inquired.

"That's just one of the abilities my aura allows me to do," I answered. "How are we going to beat these two? They work so well together."

"Then maybe we need to separate them," Yang suggested.

"Great idea!" I said. "Guess I'll have to start fighting seriously!"

She looked over to me. "You haven't been fighting seriously?"

I looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "Of course not. Have you?"

"... Touché."

I grinned at her reply and focused on the twins again. I took a deep breath as blue aura began to form around my forearms. The twins looked shocked at this action.

" _Well, if they think this is shocking, wait till they see what comes next!_ " I thought.

I pointed my arms at the sisters and fired two blasts at them. They were so shocked that they didn't dodge the blasts until the last second, backflipping to get away. They stared at me with wide eyes before they narrowed them and ran toward me.

"How did you do _that_?!" Yang exclaimed.

"That's another one of the abilities my aura allows me to do," I replied. "Watch this."

I looked back to the girls charging toward me and fired two more blasts. The girls prepared to jump, but I had seen that coming and immediately pointed my arms upward, firing two more blasts. The twins jumped to avoid the initial blasts, but evidently, they weren't expecting the second pair of blasts. The blasts hit them square in their chests, sending them in two different directions.

"... Another one of the abilities your aura allows you to do?" Yang questioned.

I grinned again. "Don't worry, I'll explain all of my abilities after the fight is over. Now, I'll take the girl in red." As I said this, I broke my staff in half, and Yang watched with astonishment as my weapon shifted into its clawed gauntlet form. "Can you handle the other one?"

She smirked. "You bet!"

I smiled back and nodded before I sped toward Miltia, who had recovered and was now refocusing on me. Her eyes narrowed and she swung her claws at me, but I easily evaded her attempt with a sidestep. She continued trying to hit me, but I dodged all of her swipes. She swung again, and I saw my chance.

I leaned back to avoid her strike and, before she could pull her weapon back, trapped it in my claws. I gave it a good yank and pulled it away from her. She stumbled back in surprise.

" _One down, one to go,_ " I thought.

I went on the offensive, delivering a barrage of slashes toward the girl. However, I wasn't going all-out, so Miltia was able to dodge my attempts or parry them with her remaining claw. After blocking a few more attacks, she thrust it forward, trying to hit me. Unfortunately for her, I had been waiting for her to do that.

My foot shot up to intercept her weapon, and as it did, my shoe began to glow before it was enveloped in flames. My fiery foot kicked her weapon right off her wrist and into the air. It ended up embedded in the ceiling, where Miltia stared in utter shock while holding onto her hand.

I took advantage of her distracted state and flung my right gauntlet into the air. I clenched my right fist and felt it get colder. The glove on my right hand started to light up before my fist was encompassed in a blue light. I slammed it into the ground right next to her feet, causing ice to spread across the ground. While that was happening, I sped around Miltia until I was behind her.

My movement caught her attention and she tried to turn and face me, but she found herself unable to move. The ice spreading across the ground had frozen her shoes to the floor, which had been my intention. I pressed my palm to her back and unleashed a blast of energy at point-blank range. It was so powerful that it shattered the ice that was keeping her in place and sent her flying through a pillar. She hit the ground, unconscious.

" _Hope I didn't overdo it,_ " I thought as I checked to see how Yang was faring.

She was currently blocking kicks from Melanie, whose blades were making clanging noises against Yang's gauntlets. After blocking a few more kicks, Yang retaliated by spinning and elbowing Melanie in the gut, knocking her off-balance. Yang followed up by grabbing her hand and pulling her around before delivering a harsh kick to her face that instantly knocked her out.

I grimaced at that before I walked toward her. She turned to see me approaching her.

"So, about your abilities..." Yang began.

Before she could continue, the lights started to turn off around us, leaving the area mostly dark. I activated my aura sense and discovered another aura in the building. My eyes narrowed when I realized that this aura belonged to Junior.

"Sorry Yang, but the fight isn't over," I told her as I turned to face him, shifting my gauntlets back to its staff form.

Yang turned to face the same direction I was facing just as a single light illuminated Junior's form. He was revealed to be carrying a bazooka.

He glowered at the two of us. "You're gonna pay for this."

I looked around and noticed for the first time that we had caused quite a bit of destruction around the club. "Um, I don't think I have enough to cover-" I was cut off by Junior pointing his weapon at us and firing a barrage of missiles. Yang and I backflipped to avoid them before jumping in two different directions.

Junior fired some more missiles, and instead of dodging, we countered them. Yang fired her shells while I fired more blasts from my palms, and together we stopped his assault. However, a thick wall of smoke had risen as a result. Yang couldn't see through the smoke, but I could. I could sense Junior moving through the smoke and heading straight for...

"Yang! On your right!" I called out to warn her. She glanced at me before turning right, and she managed to block a hit from Junior, who was now wielding a club. " _Fitting weapon for a guy who owns one,_ " I thought.

Junior swung again, and this time Yang couldn't completely block the attack. She stumbled back slightly, and Junior took that opportunity to land a few more hits. He swung a final time and knocked her into a glass table, which shattered when she crashed into it.

"Yang!" I shouted before refocusing on Junior, who was charging toward me. I ran toward him and swung my staff, but he leaned back and avoided it. He blocked my second swing before swinging upward, knocking my staff out of my hands and behind me. I crossed my arms and brought up the red aura just as he hit me with his club. His eyes narrowed and he swung his club a few more times, each hit pushing me back slightly.

Finally, he swung again, and I could no longer hold the red aura up. I was hit hard and sent flying through the air. I landed painfully next to my staff.

As I was getting back up, I took notice of Junior stalking toward me, smirking maliciously. I glared at him and stood up to my full height. "No more holding back," I said, picking up my staff and sliding it into its sheath. Junior stopped; my action apparently bewildered him. I smirked and closed my eyes as blue aura spread around my body, not stopping at my arms. It began to glow brilliantly, forcing Junior (and Yang) to cover their eyes.

Once the light faded, I opened my eyes, now in my alternate form. Junior and Yang opened their eyes as well and were completely shocked at my transformation, if their auras were anything to go on. I smirked again before I said, " **So, got an idea now?** "

Junior flinched and his eyes widened further, but he managed to calm himself down as his smirk returned. "This little dog is supposed to beat me?" he asked arrogantly.

" **Exactly,** " I replied as a bright white light surrounded me. I charged forward with heightened speed and, before Junior could react, tackled him in the gut, sending him flying back.

He got back to his feet, wincing in pain. His smirk gone, he changed his club back into a bazooka and fired missiles at me. I waited until the last second before jumping high into the air, avoiding all the missiles. Junior fired more, probably thinking I wouldn't be able to dodge them in midair, before changing his weapon to its club form and running toward where I would land.

I knew this wasn't a problem, though. My eyes glowed green and I twisted out of the way of the oncoming missiles, avoiding each one that came my way with ease. Junior had made it to where I was about to land and swung his club, trying to knock me out of the air. I wasn't about to let that happen.

I swung my body horizontally, and as I did, my tail took on a metallic sheen and turned as hard as steel. My steel clad tail clashed with his club, stopping it from hitting me. I broke off the attack by flipping back and landed on my feet in front of Yang, who was still staring at me, astounded.

I looked back to her. " **Like I said, I'll explain everything once we're done here,** " I reiterated. " **Ready to rejoin the action?** "

Yang blinked, then grinned in determination. "Sure thing, B.B.! Let's do this!" She pounded her fists together and fire seemed to erupt around her. It was my turn to stare in awe when I noticed her power had increased.

" _She's getting stronger! But how?_ " I wondered. " _Is this some sort of Semblance?_ "

"Now watch this!" she shouted as she rushed forward to engage Junior. He saw her coming and fired missiles to try and stop her; however, Yang nimbly evaded them. He changed his weapon back into a club and swung at her, but she dodged it by stepping to the side. She avoided his second swing before pummeling him with a barrage of punches, slowly pushing him back.

I watched Yang gradually overwhelm Junior before running forward and jumping above her head. My right leg began to glow white and I delivered a powerful kick at the same time Yang dished out a titanic punch. The force of our attacks was so great that Junior's weapon broke in two and he was sent tumbling back.

I looked at Yang and observed that her lilac irises were now red in color. Red... just like mine. " _She looks gorgeous,_ " I thought with a blush on my face.

I quickly turned back to face Junior before she could catch me staring. He was just getting back up, gazing at his broken weapon in dismay. He looked to his right hand and we noticed for the first time that he was holding a lock of Yang's hair.

" **What the what? When did he have time to grab that?** " I wondered aloud. I was about to continue talking but I interrupted by an explosion of energy coming from Yang. I looked at her with wide eyes. " _Whoa!_ " I thought. " _Her strength just skyrocketed! And she's_ mad!" Actually, mad was an understatement; she was _furious_! Even Junior seemed to realize that he made a huge mistake.

I was caught off-guard when Yang suddenly launched herself forward and, with a scream of rage, planted her fist into his face. The force of her punch was so powerful that it shattered all of the windows in the club and sent him flying onto the street. I heard the thud of his body hitting the ground.

" _Note to self: never make Yang mad,_ " I thought.

Yang jumped out after Junior, and I ran to the window to see what she would do next. It was then that we heard another voice.

"Yang? Is that you?"

Yang looked toward the source of the voice and took notice of a little girl, a couple of years younger than her, standing a few feet away from her.

"Oh, hey sis!" Yang greeted cheerfully.

"What are you doing here?" the girl asked.

After a short pause, Yang sighed and answered, "It's a long story."

At this, I jumped down and landed next to Yang. I inspected the new girl curiously. " _This is Yang's sister?_ " I wondered. " _They don't look anything alike._ "

This new girl had shoulder-length black hair with a red tint to it. She had pale skin and silver colored eyes. Her clothing was primarily red and black in color. She had on a black blouse, a black waist cincher with red lacing, and a skirt with red trimmings. She wore black and red stockings, as well as black and red boots. On her back was a red, folded-up contraption. She completed her look with a long, red cloak; the hood was currently down. The girl's eyes gazed in my direction and widened considerably.

In the next second, I found myself being squeezed by her. Rose petals surrounded the two of us.

" _What just happened?!_ " I thought. " _How did she get over here so fast?_ "

"Oh, he's so cute!" the girl squealed. "Where did you find him?"

"That's another long story," Yang replied. "His name's Bolt."

"Well, nice to meet you, Bolt! My name's Ruby Rose!" the girl, Ruby, said, pulling away for a second. Before I could get a word in, she began squeezing me again, but tighter than before. "Oh, you're just so adorable!"

"Uh, Ruby?" Yang said. "You might want to let him go. He's kind of..."

Yang didn't get the chance to finish because I had nearly run out of air. Wind brewed up around me, forcing Ruby to let me go, before she was blasted back a few feet. I fell to my hands and knees, gasping for air.

"... suffocating," Yang finished.

" **Sorry... about... that,** " I spoke in between gasps. Yang shot me an apologetic look.

"Ruby's pretty enthusiastic about dogs. We have one at home," she explained.

" **Duly... noted,** " I replied as I regained my breath. I stood up and walked over to where Ruby had landed; the girl was lying on her back with swirled eyes. I stuck my paw out and smiled. " **Nice to meet you, too, Ruby!** "

Ruby blinked, then stood up in a flash. She pointed at me, her eyes the size of dinner plates, and exclaimed, "You can talk?!"

" **With my mind,** " I explicated.

"What exactly are you?" Ruby asked.

" **Well... I can't really answer that since I don't even know myself. But...** " I trailed off as blue aura spread throughout my body, compelling Ruby to shield her eyes while I changed back to human. "... as you can see, I'm human."

Ruby uncovered her eyes, and they widened upon seeing me. "How did you do that?!"

I thought for a moment, then decided I could tell her. I had felt her aura, and it was the epitome of pure; I could definitely trust her. "That's my Semblance, Ruby," I told her with a smile.

Her eyes widened further. "So you can do that whenever you want?"

"Yep!" I answered.

"I bet you were pretty _blown away_ , huh?" Yang spoke up with a chuckle.

"Yang! That's not funny!" Ruby glared at her sister with a pout.

I smiled. "I thought it was kinda funny." Once I said this, both Yang and Ruby looked at me with stunned expressions on their faces. I was puzzled; had I said something wrong? "Uh..."

"You actually thought that was funny?" Ruby asked.

"Yeah," I said.

"So you like puns?" Yang inquired.

"Sure!" I answered. "Puns are a kind of joke, and I love jokes! They're so funny!" My dad liked to crack jokes, another reason I liked them so much.

Yang beamed. "Well, then, I have a feeling you and I are going to get along excellently, B.B.!" she told me, putting a hand on my shoulder.

"So, Bolt, about your Semblance..." Ruby said, changing the subject. "You really don't know what it is you turn into?"

I frowned. "No. I've been searching for answers for the past few years, but I haven't made any progress. I came here because I thought I'd get the answers I've been looking for, but..." I sighed. "... I didn't."

Ruby frowned as well but perked up a second later. "Hey! I know someone who might be able to help!"

"Really? Who?" I asked curiously.

"Our Uncle Qrow! He knows a ton about a lot of things! Maybe he can help you with this!"

"Ruby's right! Uncle Qrow is brilliant. He could provide you with an answer!" Yang put in.

"That sounds awesome!" I said excitedly. "Where can I find him?"

"Well, he usually moves around a lot, but he's also a teacher at Signal Academy, where Ruby goes to school," Yang informed me.

"You're a student at Signal?!" I exclaimed.

"That's right!" Ruby answered.

"I was a student at Signal too, but I graduated a couple of months back," Yang continued. "I'm applying to get into Beacon Academy."

"That's so cool!" I said eagerly.

"Anyway, since there's no school today, it's possible he's relaxing at home with our father," Yang said. "We live on the island of Patch; we can take you there."

"Yeah, just follow us!" Ruby said as she and Yang began walking.

"Sounds good to me!" I replied as I followed after the two sisters. As we walked, I amended my previous thought. " _I guess this wasn't a_ complete _waste of time._ "

* * *

 **And that's the end of Chapter 3! As you all have read, Bolt has met both Yang and Ruby. Next chapter, he will meet Taiyang and Qrow and will get the answers he's been searching for.**

 **I apologize for how long it took to get this chapter posted. It would have been done sooner, but we've been having less power at our place. Less power means less time to use my brother's phone.**

 **Chapter 4 will take a while to be posted. I'm actually not sure how long it will take me to finish writing this chapter, as I'm still trying to put my explanation about Bolt's Semblance into words. Also, I'm trying to decide if I should write a sparring match between Bolt and Yang or not. I was initially going to do it but I changed my mind; however, if enough people want it, I will write one. Just let me know if you want to see it in your reviews!**

 **While Chapter 4 may be difficult to write, Chapter 5 should be easier, as it starts off the story with the first episode of RWBY! I currently have the RWBY episodes saved somewhere, starting from the first episode of Volume 1 and ending with the second episode of Volume 4. Completing Chapter 5 shouldn't take as long.**

 **Now, going back to this chapter. For anyone who was unsure of what the "unexpected twist" I spoke of at the beginning of the chapter was, I was referring to Bolt's ability to use 4 of the moves he can use as Riolu without activating his Semblance: Endure, Force Palm, Blaze Kick, and Ice Punch. I thought it would be cool if he could use some moves (not to mention helpful in the future) without having to transform and he can only use 4 for obvious reasons.**

 **I hope you guys liked the interaction between Yang and Bolt and my version of the fight from the Yellow Trailer. I also hope I wrote the characters' personalities correctly and no one is OOC. If I didn't do a good job, then I'm sorry, as I'm not really the best at writing people out.**

 **Now for my story recommendations:**

 **All of the following stories make up a trilogy and are by the same author, Epicocity. They are all also Amourshipping.**

 **Love In The Time of Teamwork - A fanfiction where Ash and his friends enter a tournament in a city called Ancien City, and once it ends, they have another enemy to fight!**

 **Love In The Time of Turbulence - Sequel to the previous story mentioned. Ash and his friends go to a town called Nova Town, where more trouble arises!**

 **Love In The Time of Tribulations - The final story. Ash and his friends must face their greatest threat yet! This story is currently in progress.**

 **Please go check out these stories; they're way better than how I described them! Be on the lookout for Chapter 4, since I'm unsure of when it will be out.**

 **Please read and especially review! I wanna see at least five more new reviews before I post the next chapter! I wanna know how you guys felt about this chapter! Sparky D., out!**


	4. My Answers, Part 1

**What's up, everybody! Sparky D. is still alive! I sincerely apologize for how long it took to finish this chapter; there was a lot of stuff I needed to work out, and I've been really busy. It's time for you guys to enjoy the newest chapter! Without further ado, here's Chapter 4!**

 **EXTRA NOTE: PLEASE READ THE A/N AT THE BOTTOM!**

* * *

Chapter 4 – My Answers, Part 1

In order to get to Patch, Yang and Ruby told me that first, we would have to take an airship to get to the island. The walk to the station took 45 minutes. I used that time to get to know the two girls better.

Yang explained that she and Ruby were actually half-sisters; they had the same father but different mothers, which was probably why they looked nothing alike. She told me that Ruby's mom died many years ago while her mom had disappeared. She grew quiet about that subject, so I didn't push for details. I could sympathize with them, though, since all of us had lost our mothers in some way.

Ruby changed the subject, going back to talking about Signal. She informed me that her father was also a teacher at the school. Ruby also confirmed what my parents had told me: students have to construct their own weapons. She pulled the invention off her back and unfolded it, revealing it to be a _massive_ scythe.

My eyes bugged out at the sight of the weapon; it had to be at least twice her size! Yet, despite her small stature, she appeared to be able to wield it with ease. Ruby told me that she named her "baby" (my eyebrows raised at that) Crescent Rose and that in addition to being a scythe, it also functioned as a sniper rifle. I told her I was very impressed and she smiled brightly.

Yang told me that her weapon was named Ember Celica, then asked for more details about my weapon. I pulled my staff out of its sheath and showed it to the two girls; mostly Ruby, since Yang had already seen it before. I explained that it was a gift from my parents when I was 10 and that I had named it Blitzblazer. Then I changed it to its clawed gauntlet form before reverting it to staff form again.

I was surprised when Ruby abruptly grew starry-eyed, asking to hold my staff. I was perplexed by her behavior but gave her permission to do so, nonetheless. She squealed her thanks, then grabbed my staff ecstatically. I blinked a few times, then turned to Yang for an answer concerning Ruby's actions. Yang informed me that the younger girl was a "weapons dork" and that she loved seeing new ones. I told her that I liked weapons a lot, too; I just didn't react the same way Ruby did whenever I saw a new one.

After 45 minutes had passed (during which I had retrieved my staff from Ruby), we reached the station where airships would take people to various locations. As the three of us boarded the airship that would take us to Patch, Yang asked me, "So, Bolt, I've never seen you around at Signal. Did you attend school at Sanctum Academy?"

My smile dimmed slightly. "No."

"No?" Yang repeated, confused. "Then where did you learn to fight the way you did?"

"My parents trained me when I was 10," I replied.

"Really? Why so young?" Ruby asked curiously.

"I was very eager to learn," I answered with a chuckle. "I unlocked my aura at that age, and as a reward, my parents got me my weapon and trained me to fight."

"Can you tell us a little bit about your parents?" Yang inquired.

"Sure," I said as my smile grew melancholy. "My dad had a carefree personality and a great sense of humor. He had black hair and red eyes, just like mine. His weapon of choice was a katana that could turn into a pistol. My mom, on the other hand, had a more gentle personality. She was also a fantastic cook! She had brown eyes and blue hair, like mine, and she wielded two metal fans and a chain sickle. They were amazing parents," I finished with a sigh.

"Hey Bolt…" I turned to Yang, who had an uncharacteristic frown on her face. "You keep referring to your parents in the past tense. Are they…?" she trailed off.

It wasn't hard to figure out what she was trying to ask. "Yeah, they are," I answered, the smile on my face gone.

She put a hand on my shoulder. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright," I told her.

"I don't understand," Ruby spoke up. "What happened to your parents, Bolt?"

"They're dead, Ruby," Yang answered for me.

Ruby gasped. "That's terrible! How did it happen?" Yang looked at me too, obviously wanting to hear my story. They were my friends now, so I decided to tell them more about my past.

"Well, seven years ago, my parents took me into the Emerald Forest to see if I could kill a Grimm after they had trained me for a month. Unfortunately, the Grimm we found wasn't what my parents had been looking for. We ended up running into—"

"A Deathstalker?" Ruby interrupted with wide eyes.

"Well, there were actually two," I corrected her, making her eyes widen further. "In addition, there was also a giant Nevermore. The Nevermore was preventing us from fleeing, so we had to fight."

I paused in my storytelling to roll up my right sleeve, revealing the long scar I had gotten from the Deathstalker. "During the fight, I had been attacked and wounded by one of the Deathstalkers. After fending it off, my parents removed me from the fight."

"How did they do that?" Yang asked, eyes wide.

"My mom's Semblance allows her to teleport," I explained. "She teleported me away from the fight, then went back to help my dad. I didn't find them until 40 minutes later, and by that time, they were already dead." At this, the two girls gasped. "Right after I found them, I was attacked by an Ursa. That's how I got these." I pointed to the scratches on my left cheek.

"So how did you survive?" Ruby asked.

My smile returned to my face. "I activated my Semblance for the first time. With my newfound abilities, I easily defeated the Ursa. Ever since then, I've been living in the Emerald Forest, training, killing Grimm, and continuing to grow stronger."

After I finished my story, the airship finally landed. We had finally made it to Patch. The three of us left the airship and the station, and Yang and Ruby began leading me through the forest to their house.

"So you've just been living in the Emerald Forest by yourself?" Ruby inquired as we walked.

"That's right," I confirmed. "I've been training, both with my weapon and my Semblance."

"Oh yeah, that reminds me," Yang said. "You were going to tell me about the different things you can do."

"Right." I nodded. "For starters, ever since I activated my Semblance for the first time, I've had the ability to sense other auras, no matter what obstacles are in the way."

"Wow! That's so cool!" Ruby exclaimed.

"That must come in handy for you," Yang said in awe.

"It sure does," I replied. "There are a couple of downsides, though. I can only sense living things that have an aura. That excludes Grimm. I've also got a limited range for how far I can sense auras. Anything outside my range, I can't sense. My range extends farther when I activate my Semblance."

"What else can you do?" Yang questioned.

"Once I've locked on to a person's aura, I can sense whatever emotions they're feeling," I continued.

"You mean if I started feeling sad, or angry, or happy, you would be able to tell?" Ruby asked.

"Exactly," I said. "In addition, I can also read a person's aura and predict their movements through that."

"Really?!" the two girls asked in shock.

"Yeah," I confirmed. "And you girls already know about my attacks."

"You mean that tornado thing?" Ruby inquired.

"That's one of them," I answered. "And it's not really a tornado. The attack works more like a vacuum, pulling anyone close enough toward me before blasting them away. If my opponent is too far away, I can fire a wave of energy with that attack."

"That sounds awesome!" Ruby exclaimed before she realized something. "But you said that's one of them. How many do you have?"

"Too many to count," I told her, making her eyes widen in surprise. "But while I'm human, I can only use four moves."

"Can you show us?"

"Well, Yang's already seen them, but I can still show you," I said. I focused as a red aura surrounded my body. "Here's the first one."

"What does this do?" Ruby questioned.

"It gives me a temporary boost in defense and allows me to withstand attacks," I explained as the aura faded, only to be replaced by a blue aura surrounding my forearm. "Here's the second one." I pointed my arm at a nearby tree and fired a white blast at it. The attack blew the tree down.

"That was incredible!" Ruby shouted with stars in her eyes. "What about the other two?"

"Here's number three," I said as my right glove began to glow before it was enveloped in a blue light. I punched the ground, causing ice to form and freeze a section of it. I stepped back from my handiwork, then jumped into the air. "And here's the last one!" I said as my right shoe began to light up before igniting in flames. I slammed my fiery foot on the icy ground, shattering it with ease.

Ruby looked positively amazed.

Yang finally spoke up. "Hey B.B., I wanted to ask… do the last two count as attacks? I mean, aren't you just using Dust?"

I stopped walking and smirked at her. "Am I?"

"Aren't you?" Ruby asked, mystified.

I dropped the smirk as I rethought about it. "Well, I guess I am." Then my smirk returned. "Watch this," I instructed. I bent down and untied my shoelace before removing my shoe, leaving my right foot bare. Then I proceeded to roll up the leg of my pants. Ruby and Yang continued to watch in confusion, but the expressions on their faces quickly changed to shock when my foot suddenly caught on fire.

"Oh my gosh, Bolt! Your foot's on fire!" Ruby exclaimed.

"Yeah, I know," I replied calmly.

"Shouldn't you do something?!" she yelled.

"Sure thing." I stopped the attack and the flames went out.

The sisters seemed surprised at that. "Okay… what just happened?" Yang asked with a raised eyebrow.

"As you can see, I don't need Dust to perform that attack. Likewise…" I removed my glove and demonstrated my ice attack, feeling my fist grow colder, before letting it fade. "… I don't need Dust to do this either." Once I was wearing my glove and my shoe again, we continued walking, with Ruby asking me more questions.

"So, if you don't need Dust to use those attacks, why do you wear it?" she asked.

I sweatdropped. "Well, the first time I managed to pull it off, I kinda… accidentally… burned my shoes away. I ended up having to walk around barefoot for quite a while."

Yang started laughing once she heard my answer, causing my cheeks to redden slightly before I continued speaking. "I got Fire Dust sewn into my shoes to prevent that from happening again. Afterward, I decided that I might as well get Ice Dust sewn into my gloves for convenience sake. It makes it easier to perform this attack."

"Can we see your other moves?" Ruby asked excitedly.

I chuckled. "Maybe later, Ruby. I can sense three other auras up ahead, so I'm guessing we're reaching our destination."

Ruby pouted in disappointment, but her face quickly brightened up when a log cabin came into view. "We're home!" she yelled in happiness. Right after she finished talking, she suddenly disappeared, leaving nothing but rose petals behind.

"How does she keep doing that?" I asked, puzzled.

"Ruby's Semblance is Speed," Yang explained. "She can move _really_ fast when she uses her Semblance. She might even be faster than you."

I opened my mouth to protest, but then I thought about it and shrugged. "Actually, that sounds likely." I followed after Yang as we entered her home.

Once we were inside, we heard Ruby's voice talking really fast. "… made a new friend today! His name's Bolt and he's really cool! He can turn into a dog!" I felt two other auras in the room with Ruby; both auras had amusement running through them, but I could feel slight intrigue coming from one of them. The two of us turned a corner into what looked like a kitchen, and I saw Ruby speaking to two men.

The first man had blonde hair and blue eyes. He wore a brown leather vest over a tan dress shirt, brown shorts, and black shoes. There was a red bandana around his left arm and a bit of armor on his right arm. Based on his blonde hair, I guessed that this man was the girls' father.

The second man, on the other hand, had spiky, graying black hair and red eyes. He had on a gray dress shirt, black pants, and black shoes. He was also wearing a red cloak much like Ruby's; only his was tattered. This man had been the one who was intrigued. As the two men turned to face me, I felt the intrigue in the second man's aura grow.

"Is this your new friend, Ruby?" the blonde haired man asked, turning to her for an answer.

"Yep!" she answered. "This is Bolt!"

He turned back to me with a smile. "Welcome to our home, Bolt! I'm Taiyang, Ruby and Yang's father."

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Taiyang," I said.

He chuckled at that. I turned to the other man, who was still eyeing me in fascination. I was about to ask who he was when Ruby spoke up again.

"And this is Uncle Qrow!" she introduced. "He knows everything!"

"That might be a bit of a stretch," he said to her, still not taking his eyes off me. "Tell me, kid, how are Sparky and Amy doing?"

I blinked before my eyes widened in shock. "You know my parents?!"

"Those are your parents' names?" Yang asked me.

I nodded as Qrow answered my question. "I know a lot of people. Your parents and I met at Beacon. Our team was friends with their team." He turned his attention to the girls' father. "Tai, don't you see the resemblance?"

"Hm?" Taiyang turned his gaze to Qrow in confusion before looking back to me. He narrowed his eyes as he stared at me before they widened in recognition. "Hey, you're right, Qrow! He's got Sparky's eyes and his hairdo, and his hair color is the same as Amy's!"

"Both of you knew my parents?" I asked in surprise.

"You bet!" Taiyang grinned. "We were good friends with those two especially. How are they?

I became a bit downcast at his question. "My parents died seven years ago."

Taiyang's excited look quickly changed to one of shock before it became sympathetic. "Oh… I'm sorry to hear that," he said.

I nodded, not upset at them for bringing my parents up since I was going to have to do so. "However…" I said, gaining the attention of the two adults. "There was something that happened that day that I need help understanding."

I proceeded to explain how it all happened, from my parents training me to that fateful day. "…After I was knocked down by the Ursa, I activated my Semblance for the first time and easily killed the Grimm. Ever since then, I've been living in the Emerald Forest, training my Semblance and learning all the different things I could do."

The room was silent for a few moments after I finished speaking. Qrow was the first one to break the silence. "Sounds like you had it rough growing up, kid," he commented.

I had to agree; it hadn't been easy living in a forest, especially one filled with dangerous monsters, but I managed to pull through. "Like I said earlier, there's still something about my Semblance that I don't understand."

"What's that?" Taiyang inquired curiously.

"I don't know what it is I turn into when I activate my Semblance," I explained. "For the past five years, I've been searching for answers, only to come up short." I turned to Qrow, who was listening intently. "Ruby and Yang told me that you're very knowledgeable, so I thought that maybe you would have an answer for me."

Qrow was silent for a few seconds before he finally responded. "I think you better show us this Semblance of yours."

I nodded in understanding, letting my aura spread throughout my body. After a blinding blue flash occurred, I was in my other form. As soon as the other four were able to see again, they all looked at me, and I was met with varying levels of surprise.

Yang had already seen my transformation, so she was mostly amazed, but still slightly surprised.

Ruby had only seen me change to human, so she was a bit more surprised than Yang.

Taiyang expressed the most amount of surprise. His eyes were wide and his jaw was hanging open, which meant he probably hadn't seen anything like this before now.

Qrow, however, held little to no surprise.

There was no expression of astonishment on his face and there was no trace of surprise in his aura, just that same intrigue that had been there since Ruby had first told him about me. His lack of surprise confused me. Everyone else was surprised; even Yang, who had already seen my transformation, was a little surprised. I was pulled from my thoughts when Qrow spoke up.

"Just like I thought," he said.

This confused me further. Did he have an idea about what I was?

Qrow continued. "Kid, you are what is known as a shapeshifter."

* * *

 **And that's that for now! This was originally going to be one whole chapter, but I ended up splitting it into two. The reason for this is that it was taking a long time to get this chapter done and I'm only halfway finished with it. I don't want you readers to think that I've forgotten about you, so I'm posting this chapter to tide you guys over until I can finish Chapter 5. Now to explain why this took as long as it did to get posted.**

 **The major reason was because of my studies. In addition to my school, I'm now also studying for a big test, which doesn't leave too much time for myself.**

 **Another big reason, though not quite as major as the first one, is that I've come down with a common disease. The name? Writer's Block. It was so bad that I was unable to write for a week, but I've managed to overcome it.**

 **I was also a bit saddened by the lack of reviews for last chapter. To be honest, I was also holding out for a while to see if anyone would review, and I was disappointed that no one did. If you guys don't review, then I won't know how you guys feel about the story and I won't know if I'm doing a good job pleasing you guys. Not to mention, I enjoy responding to reviews and I accept constructive criticism. So please review my story!**

 **Now that I've explained that, I'll move on to the chapter. The purpose of this chapter was to have Bolt get to know Yang and Ruby better and vice versa. It might seem like Bolt is revealing his past too soon, but they were going to know eventually since he was going to have to tell Qrow.**

 **I know I said that Chapter 5 would kick off Volume 1 of Ruby, but now that this chapter is in two parts, it looks like that will be moved to Chapter 6.**

 **On a different note, I've finally posted my profile! You guys can go check it out!**

 **After giving it some thought, I've decided that there will be a spar next chapter. Bolt will be facing off against one of the three people there. Who that person will be, I'm leaving that decision up to you guys! I'll be putting a poll on my profile asking who you guys want to see Bolt spar with.**

 **With all that said and done, it's time for my story recommendations:**

 **Power Within by Xman321 – An interesting RWBY/Dragon Ball Z crossover where Gohan gets sent to the RWBY universe a few days before the Cell Games. How will Gohan adjust to his new life and how will the Z fighters defeat Cell? Read to find out! Pairing is RubyxGohan.**

 **Challenger by darkfire1220 – An AU Pokemon fanfic where Ash chooses Charmander as his starter and catches a Pichu at Prof. Oak's lab. This story is amazing, so please read it!**

 **The Zenotrix: Pride vs Grudge by AntiHero27 – A Dragon Ball Z/Ben 10 crossover. A new enemy arrives with a watch like Ben's and seems to be proving superior to him. Luckily, all is not lost as a new hero will come to assist Ben fight against him!**

 **That's all for now! I'll see you all next chapter! Remember to review! Sparky D., out!**


	5. My Answers, Part 2

**Hello again, readers! I'm back with a brand new chapter! I made it my goal this month to get this chapter out before the end of February, and I barely succeeded! This is the continuation of last chapter and will wrap up this little arc about Bolt's past. I added a detail in this chapter that slightly veers away from canon. You'll know it when you see it (maybe)!**

 **In regards to the poll, Bolt will be sparring with… Yang! Only three people voted in the poll, and all three chose Yang. This, while slightly disappointing, is actually a good thing, as before I put up the poll, I already had Bolt vs. Yang halfway planned out.**

 **Now to answer the reviews for last chapter:**

 **dragoncraftertex: Sorry, the spar will be one-on-one. Ruby will still have an idea of what Bolt can do since whoever isn't sparring will be watching the fight. Bolt actually will not be getting into Beacon the same way Ruby does. That isn't to say Ruby will be fighting Torchwick alone… ;)**

 **Thank you! I was initially going to have him turn into Lucario right away, but then I thought it would be better if he worked his way up through training.**

 **yukicrewger2: In a way, yes and no. It will all be clear when it happens in a few chapters.**

 **Yes, he will only have Riolu/Lucario. Each shapeshifter can only turn into one pokemon. As I'm sure I've mentioned before, the whole "multiple pokemon forms" was my original idea before I limited it to just one.**

 **starshadow1221: Thanks a bunch! I hope you like this chapter!**

 **Oh yeah, and since I never really put this in the past chapters, I'll put it here:**

 **Bold = Riolu speaking**

 **Now let's begin Chapter 5!**

* * *

Chapter 5 – My Answers, Part 2

My confusion was only increasing, although I wasn't the only one confused. " **A… shapeshifter?** " I repeated in bewilderment.

"That's right," Qrow said, nodding.

"What's a shapeshifter?" Ruby asked her uncle.

"A shapeshifter is someone who, like your friend here, can turn into a special kind of animal," Qrow explained.

"What do you mean by 'special'?" Yang questioned.

"These animals could use different kinds of attacks, depending on the type of the animal. Then there were others, like him—" Qrow pointed at me. "—who took it one step further."

" **How did they do that?** " I asked.

"They developed the ability to use aura." His answer made my eyes go wide in wonder. "How about I tell you a story? Once I'm done, you can show us what you're capable of."

I nodded in agreement, and the five of us moved to the living room. It was there I met the third aura I had sensed in the forest in the form of a black and white dog with black beady eyes. He walked up to me and started sniffing me while I stood still in puzzlement.

" **Uh... hi?** " I said uncertainly before I was suddenly tackled off my feet by the enthusiastic dog. Said dog proceeded to lick my face repeatedly while everyone else stood to the side, watching in amusement. " **A little help here?!** " I shouted out to the others, who were now starting to laugh. Once they stopped, Ruby called out to the dog.

"Zwei! Over here, boy!" The dog heeded to her words and jumped off me, running to her and hopping into her arms. "Bolt, this is our pet corgi, Zwei. Zwei, this is our new friend, Bolt," she introduced us. Zwei barked.

" **Nice to meet you, Zwei,** " I said as I stood back up. Zwei barked in what I guessed was agreement.

"Zwei is highly intelligent," Yang informed me. "He can do things that normal dogs can't."

" **That's… interesting,** " I said. " **Can we talk about that after we hear the story?** "

Once we were all comfortable, Qrow began to speak.

"First of all, do you all know about the story of how man first discovered Dust and used it to fight the Grimm?" Everyone nodded. "Well, this story takes place not long after that." That certainly piqued my interest.

"After some time of fighting off Grimm, people began to notice animals. Out of nowhere, more and more animals began popping up in different places. However, these creatures were clearly not normal. They were different colors, different sizes, and had certain… features that separated them from normal animals."

Qrow gestured to me. "Take you, for example. Those black things at the back of your head aren't ears, are they?"

Everyone turned to me as I answered. " **No, they're not. I've found these appendages to be helpful when I'm sensing other auras. They extend my range and allow me to see farther than when I'm human.** "

"Oh, so that's why you have a wider range when you transform!" Yang exclaimed in realization. I nodded in confirmation, then grew silent when Qrow continued his story.

"Anyways, naturally, people wanted to know more about these creatures and where they were coming from. Three men tracked them down to the same cave they discovered Dust. After traversing the cave, they eventually found a smaller tunnel about 2 feet tall. They went down that tunnel, and boy were they surprised at what they found!"

"What did they find?" Ruby inquired.

"The three men came upon an enormous room filled not only with Dust, but also with numerous creatures in an assortment of different habitats." Everyone's eyes bugged out upon hearing that. "And like I mentioned before, they looked like normal animals, but with some differences. There were animals like cats, dogs, mice, foxes, and bears. There were lots of different kinds of birds like owls, eagles, and penguins, and various sea creatures such as frogs, turtles, and seals. And that's just scratching the surface; there were lots more than that."

" **Wow,** " I said. " **That sounds incredible!** "

"Oh, it gets even more interesting," Qrow told me. "Remember, these were similar to normal animals, which meant they also had aura. Now, it's unknown how long the creatures had been living in the cave before the big discovery, but it can be theorized to have been a very long time. During this time, most of the creatures became well acquainted with the Dust, from simply being around it to actually… ingesting it."

"What?! They ate Dust?! Is that even possible?!" Yang blurted out in complete shock.

"Apparently so," Qrow answered with a shrug. "And after doing so for so long, these creatures somehow learned how to manipulate certain elements without Dust. They could breathe fire, shoot out water, and generate electricity, for example."

"Bolt can light his foot on fire!" Ruby said excitedly. "And he can punch ice!"

"Sounds impressive," Taiyang commented.

"Because of this, people began to classify them as different 'types,'" Qrow explained. "Those that could breathe fire became Fire types, those that could generate electricity were called Electric types, the ones that could fly were classified as Flying types, some that preferred to reside in dark areas became Dark types or sometimes Ghost types, and so on. Sometimes, a creature was classified as two types instead of one, making them a 'dual-type.'"

" **What type would that make me?** " I questioned.

"Well, this kind of creature really liked to fight, and was excellent at close quarters combat, so it was classified as a Fighting type."

"Kinda sounds like Yang," Ruby mused. The blonde merely grinned in response to her sister's words.

Thinking about it, I realized Qrow was right; I did like to fight, and the majority of my attacks were physical attacks, so it made sense. It was also nice to hear that I had something else in common with Yang.

"Also, after seeing them use so many different attacks and other moves, people also assigned names and types to them," Qrow went on.

" **Really?** " I said curiously. " **Maybe that would explain this.** " I pulled five discs out of my satchel. One was brown, one was pink, another was light brown, another was gray, and the last one was dark purple. All five had a button in the center. I showed them to Qrow. " **I found these in a cave about three years ago. I don't know what they are or what they do, but they're all different colors, and they all have odd names on them.** "

Qrow inspected the disks before looking at me again. "Back then, people had been so interested in seeing those creatures use attacks that they decided to try to make their own. I'm not sure how they did it, but they did. They were made to look like disks and they were called TMs."

"Why were they called that?" Ruby asked.

"The TM stood for Technical Machine," Qrow explained. "Each color represents a different type. For example, this gray one means that this TM holds a Steel type move."

" **Wow! That sounds remarkable!** " I said. " **But how do I use them?** "

"In order to use them, people put them on any creature's head and pressed the button. However, it would only work if the creature was compatible with the move they created."

" **I guess I'll give it a shot, then,** " I remarked. I took the gray one and placed it on my head. " **Can someone push the button?** " I asked since I couldn't reach it. Yang did so for me. However, nothing happened as I sat there with the TM on my head, so I took it off and said, " **I guess I'm not compatible with this move.** "

"Doesn't seem like it. You might not be compatible with any of these moves," Qrow commented. "Anyway, people also decided to give names to the creatures. The one you can turn into, kid, is called Riolu."

" **Riolu?** " I repeated.

"That's right," he confirmed. "Although I have no idea how they came up with the name. I guess they had some sort of system back then."

I didn't really mind the name; after all, I was finally getting the answers that I had been searching for since I was 12. Then I remembered something he had said earlier. " **Hey Mr. Qrow, you said that some of these animals learned how to use their aura. How did they manage that?** "

"Well, very few of these creatures learned how to use aura," Qrow replied. "They learned how to by hanging around humans and watching them use it. They were so interested at seeing how humans could use it that they decided to learn how to use it themselves."

"That sounds pretty cool," Yang said.

"However," Qrow went on, "these creatures somehow learned how to use their aura in ways that humans can't. Like Bolt here, they could sense people from faraway distances. In addition to that, they could also make weapons out of aura. Then there was their favorite move, creating an orb of aura and throwing it at a target. People dubbed this technique 'Aura Sphere.'"

Ruby looked at me with an eager glint in her eyes. "Can you make weapons, Bolt?"

I smiled sheepishly. " **Sorry Ruby, I can't.** " Ruby pouted with a disappointed look on her face.

"Wait! They could use their aura offensively?!" Yang asked, stunned.

"That's right," Qrow answered. "Furthermore, it was revealed that some of these creatures underwent changes that people eventually dubbed as 'evolution.' They would become bigger, stronger, and sometimes gained new types. People gave these creatures new names whenever they evolved."

" **Is it possible for Riolu to evolve?** " I inquired.

"As a matter of fact, it is," Qrow told me. "Riolu evolves into a creature that people named 'Lucario.' Not only that, but Riolu gains a new type upon evolving, the Steel type. You might be able to use those TMs if you ever evolve."

"Wow, that's something I'd like to see," Yang said with a grin. "What has to be done in order for one of these creatures to evolve?"

"For some normal creatures, it just seemed to happen after enough training," Qrow responded. "But for the ones that trained in aura, it's unclear how it happened. Despite undergoing lots of training, it never seemed to happen until they started interacted with humans, so people weren't sure what the cause was."

I frowned a little at his answer, then decided I would figure out how to make it happen one day.

"However, what might be most surprising about all this is the rumor that Faunus descended from these creatures," Qrow continued. "It's unknown _how_ people gained the ability to shapeshift, but it _is_ known that, although rare, it's typically Faunus who have this ability. It's even rarer for a human to have it."

He was right; that _was_ very surprising to hear. It was then another question popped into my head. " **How do you know so much about shapeshifters, Mr. Qrow?** "

He smirked as if he'd been waiting for someone to ask that question. "Well, to answer your question, kid…" He trailed off as red aura abruptly surrounded his body in a manner similar to how my aura encompassed my body. Then there was a blinding flash that made all of us cover our eyes and turn away.

When we all looked back, our eyes grew as wide as dinner plates. Standing in Qrow's place was a small, black crow with red eyes. It had a crooked, yellow beak and yellow talons. The feathers on its head were clustered together in a way that made it look like it was wearing a hat, and there was a red band at the base of its spiky tail.

The crow suddenly spoke. "…I made it a point to learn about my Semblance."

"Uncle Qrow! You're a shapeshifter, too?!" Ruby shouted in astonishment.

"Yeah," he answered. "This creature's name is Murkrow."

I observed Qrow's new form before asking, " **So, is this creature a dual-type?** "

The bird nodded. "Murkrow has been classified as a Flying/Dark-type."

"Can it evolve?" Ruby asked inquisitively.

"Well, as far as evolution goes, it's unknown whether or not there's an evolved form for Murkrow," Qrow replied. There was another bright flash of light and Qrow reappeared in human form. "Now, have I answered all of your questions?"

" **Well, mostly,** " I replied. " **You mentioned that people gave names to the moves that these creatures could use. Do you know the names of the moves that I can use?** "

Qrow shrugged. "Probably. I'd have to see you using the moves, though, in order to identify them."

I was about to respond when Ruby suddenly spoke up. "Ooh, ooh! How about a spar?"

" **A spar?** " I questioned.

"Yeah! I think that would be the best way for you to display your moves and for us to see you in action!" she exclaimed.

I thought about it, then hopped to my feet. " **Well, I'm up for a spar,** " I said. " **Who will I be sparring with?** "

"Me." Everyone turned to look at Yang, who had a determined grin on her face. "I'm always ready for a fight!"

" **Great!** " I said. " **Shall we head outside?** "

"You bet!"

* * *

Once all of us were outside, Yang and I took our positions on opposite sides of the clearing. " **Ready to start, Yang?** " I called out to her.

"Oh yeah! I'm all fired up!" As she said this, she pounded her fists together and fire erupted from her before fading as quickly as it came.

I blinked before chuckling at her pun and getting into a fighting stance, waiting for Taiyang to signal the start of the spar.

He raised his arm into the air and threw it forward, yelling, "Begin!"

Yang took the initiative and began to open fire, shooting shell after shell in my direction. I responded by dodging the shells with ease, jumping and weaving before dashing forward with a white light surrounding me.

Yet, in spite of my speed boost, Yang reacted swiftly. She crossed her arms, leaving me to crash into her gauntlets. Even though my charge pushed her back a few inches, she was still relatively unharmed. Yang brought her right arm back and threw her fist forward, but I pushed off her other arm and flipped behind her, causing her punch to miss. I landed on the ground behind Yang, then immediately turned around and pressed my palm to her back. The blonde had no time to react as I unleashed a blast of energy that sent her flying through the air.

Yang landed on her back but instantly jumped back onto her feet, grinning. "All right, now this is what I'm talking about!" she yelled as she aimed both gauntlets behind herself. She fired, propelling herself forward. Yang cocked her fist back and punched the ground where I had been standing.

I, on the other hand, had managed to jump into the air at the last second. However, it seemed Yang had anticipated that. She used her momentum to twist her body and deliver a solid kick to my stomach, sending me sailing toward a tree.

I managed to stop myself from crashing into a tree branch by flipping backward just before I could hit it. I grabbed the branch and used it to swing myself back toward Yang. I threw my paw forward, a green energy field enveloping it as I did so.

Likewise, Yang reared her fist back and met my punch with one of her own. The resulting shockwave blew both of us backward, though both of us landed on our feet, smirking at each other. The pain from Yang's kick had lessened somewhat, a side effect that happened whenever I used that move.

" _Yang's pretty fast, but I'm sure that I'm faster,_ " I thought. " _I should capitalize on that._ " Both of my paws began to glow a deep red and I rocketed forward. Once again, Yang had no time to react as I was upon her in an instant, delivering a barrage of blows that made her stumble back. The red glow coming from my paws faded and was replaced with a white glow as I tried to uppercut Yang while she was still disoriented.

Unfortunately, she recovered faster than I had expected. Yang leaned back to avoid my attack, then grabbed my outstretched arm and slammed me into the ground. She tried to punch me, but I jumped to my feet and, surrounded by a red aura, stopped the blow in its tracks by grabbing her fist with my paws. I still took damage from her punch, but I withstood the brunt of her attack.

I tugged on Yang's arm, pulling her off-balance. I followed up by getting under her, pressing my paws to her stomach, rolling backward onto my back, and flipping her behind me. She hit the ground, causing a large cloud of dust to rise.

" _That should give me a few seconds to breathe,_ " I thought, panting lightly. I was proven wrong when, not two seconds later, several shotgun blasts were fired from the dust cloud, all heading straight for me. My shock only lasted a second before I seemingly teleported, reappearing a foot to the right of my previous spot and barely evading Yang's assault. My eyes flashed red as I looked into the cloud, and I was stunned to see Yang was already on her feet again, her hair starting to glow.

" _How is she recovering so fast?_ " I wondered. " _My attacks should be slowing her down, yet she keeps getting right back up! And is it just me, or are her attacks getting stronger?_ " Then I thought back to our fight against Junior and remembered how much stronger she had gotten after taking multiple hits from Junior. " _Could it be that she gets stronger every time she's hit? If that's the case…_ " I backflipped away to create more distance, then began to run around Yang when she started firing more shells at me. " _… then I've gotta keep my distance._ "

I continued to dart around Yang, evading the shots she fired, until she ran out of ammo. While she was reloading, I took the opportunity to prepare my next attack. Wind stirred up around me, lifting me a couple of feet into the air; by the time she finished reloading, the wind had become a cyclone with me in the center. Yang began to fire more shells at me, but I crossed my arms before speedily uncrossing them, sending a crescent wave of energy in her direction that deflected her shots.

Yang seemed to realize that she couldn't intercept the wave, so she pointed her arms toward the ground beneath her and fired, using the recoil from her weapon to boost herself into the air and out of range of my attack. However, that was just what I wanted her to do. My foot ignited and I swung my leg in an arc, which sent another wave toward the blonde, this time one of fire. I could feel the shock in Yang's aura before the wave engulfed her. I thought to myself, " _That should slow her down for a while—What the what?!_ "

Now _I_ was completely shocked when Yang burst out of the flames with hardly any injuries, heading my way. She shot another shotgun blast at me, and my shock prevented me from getting out of the way in time, so I decided to block it instead. I crossed my arms and brought up the red aura again just before the blast hit; the explosion still managed to send me skidding back a few feet.

I sensed Yang rapidly advancing on me, but I couldn't react fast enough to get away from her. She grabbed my paws and yanked me into the air, out of reach. I was too far away to kick her, but I had other attacks I could use.

Wind began to stir up around me once again, but Yang must have known I would try that because she disrupted my attack by slamming me into the ground. She then picked me up by my paws again.

Knowing that I wouldn't be able to use that attack, I tried a different one. My paws turned light blue and grew colder, and shortly afterward, ice started to crawl up Yang's arms. Unfortunately, she saw it coming. Flames flared out from her hair, promptly melting the ice and causing me a bit of damage, before fading away.

Yang smirked, obviously thinking that I didn't have any other attacks that I could use while trapped in this position. "Time to end this with a Yang!" she said, rearing her fist back.

I smirked back. " **Sorry Yang, but I've got another surprise that may come as a shock to you!** " I countered. As I spoke, my paws glowed yellow.

Yang raised an eyebrow in confusion, but that quickly changed when she was suddenly shocked, both figuratively and literally. In her stunned state, she dropped me, and I took advantage of that. I crossed my arms and leaped over Yang; my arms took on a white glow and I slammed into her from above, causing more dust to rise. I jumped out of the cloud and landed a few feet away, staring at it intently.

After a few moments, the dust cloud faded, revealing Yang on her feet once more. She was definitely injured but still raring to go. The same could be said for me, but I was a lot more injured than she was. Speed and power were my greatest weapons, but I was lacking in the defense department. I had a few moves to help make up for my lack of endurance, but I knew they wouldn't last forever. If I wanted to end this spar, I would have to do so quickly.

I rushed forward and jumped into the air as my leg began to glow white. I kicked at Yang, and she threw a punch to counter. The two attacks collided and appeared to be equal in strength, which surprised me; after all, this was one of my strongest attacks.

I broke off the attack by flipping back. However, once I had landed on the ground, I heard a noise and suddenly, Yang was in front of me. With no time to react, I took the full brunt of the punch she threw into my gut. The hit sent me crashing through a tree and into the forest.

" _Owww… That one really hurt._ " Boy, was that an understatement. I got back up unsteadily. " _There's no way I can take another hit like that,_ " I thought. " _I don't have much left in me, maybe two or three more attacks._ " Then an idea came to mind, and I smirked. " _And I know just what to use._ "

I zoomed out of the forest and ran toward Yang. Once she saw me coming, she smirked and started firing shells at me. I avoided a few shots before jumping into the air. Yang fired another shot, probably thinking I wouldn't be able to dodge it in mid-air. Well, I would prove her wrong.

I swung my tail to the left while simultaneously turning it to steel; as a result, my tail gained a metallic gleam and became a bit heavier. I used the additional weight to shift myself out of the shell's path and landed on the ground, unharmed. Yang opened fire again, but I began to disappear and reappear at random.

After a few seconds of speedy evasion, I reappeared behind Yang and lunged toward her. My body took on a multicolored glow and, as she turned around, I hit her hard enough to send her flying. I didn't stop there; once the multicolored light had died down, a blue aura took its place. Three blue orbs circled my body before circling around my right arm and stopping at my paw.

I charged forward and sprang above Yang before slamming my paw into her stomach, sending her into the ground and causing dirt to rise for the umpteenth time. I landed at the edge of the cloud, breathing heavily.

" _That had to have done the trick,_ " I thought as I started to walk away. After a few steps, however, I froze when I felt a sharp increase in energy. " _You can't be serious._ " My fears were confirmed when I heard an explosion of power coming from behind me. Slowly, I turned around, and my eyes widened considerably.

Yang was on her feet again, but that wasn't what caught my attention. Her eyes were now red, her hair was glowing as bright as a beacon, and most importantly, her power was through the roof. All of these signs pointed to one thing.

Yang had reached the peak of her strength.

I had used up nearly all of my energy, so there was absolutely nothing I could do to defend myself. Yang launched herself forward and planted her fist into my gut, sending me flying into another tree. I didn't go through it this time, but I did crash into it hard before I fell to the ground. Blue aura spread throughout my body and, after a flash of light, I was human once more. I sat up slowly.

Yang walked over, her red irises now lilac again, and stuck out her hand. I took it and she helped me to my feet. "Why'd you change back?" she asked curiously.

"That automatically happens whenever I run out of energy," I answered. "You really pack a punch, Yang!"

The blonde grinned. "Thanks, B.B.! You're pretty strong yourself! It's been a while since anyone could push me to the final state of my Semblance in a one-on-one sparring match."

"Oh yeah, what exactly is your Semblance?" I inquired.

"My Semblance allows me to draw strength from any damage I've taken. The hits I take serve to make me stronger," she explained.

"You're very good at taking hits," I complimented her.

Yang smiled before she continued talking. "Once I reach my final state, my eyes turn red and my hair shines radiantly."

"Well, you're definitely the toughest opponent I've ever faced," I admitted. She beamed in response. The sound of someone clapping slowly drew our attention, and we turned to face our audience.

Qrow was the one clapping. He had a small smile on his face, and judging from his aura, he was impressed. "Well done, you two. That was an intense fight."

Taiyang was likewise awestruck, while Ruby was… in my face. "That was the most amazing fight I've ever seen!" she exclaimed. "You have so many awesome attacks, Bolt! And you're super fast! It looked like you were teleporting! Wait a minute, can you teleport?" Now she looked inquisitive.

She was speaking so fast that I almost missed the question she asked. "Whoa, whoa, slow down, Ruby! I can't teleport! I just move so quickly it _looks_ like teleportation!"

"That move is called 'Agility,'" Qrow put in. "It gives the user a boost in speed for evasion purposes. Like my niece said, you've got a pretty diverse move set."

"Does that mean you can identify my other moves?" I asked hopefully.

Qrow nodded. "For starters, that speedy move you used at the beginning of the spar…" He proceeded to tell me the names of all the moves I had used in the spar. I described the other moves I was able to use that I hadn't displayed and he told me the names of those. He even told me the attacks that I would be able to learn if I ever evolved into Lucario. I listened attentively, knowing that this was vital information.

When all of this was said and done, all of us noticed that it was starting to get dark. I was ready to head back to the Emerald Forest, but Taiyang convinced me to stay for dinner. In the end, I was glad I had stayed; it was nice to have people to talk to for once, and it was satisfying to have an actual meal instead of a few berries.

Once dinner was over, I headed back to the airship station, waving goodbye to Qrow and Taiyang. Yang and Ruby chose to accompany me, and the three of us walked along, conversing about trivial things. When we reached the station, Ruby waved goodbye while Yang punched my arm as a farewell gesture. I winced for a moment before telling them that I'd visit them tomorrow. As I got on the airship, I waved bye to the sisters one last time, and then I was off.

True to my word, after my breakfast and meditation routines, I made my way to their home on the island of Patch, where I enjoyed hanging out with Yang and Ruby. Taiyang and Qrow went out for the day but came back later in the evening. After staying for dinner, I went back to the forest I resided in.

I began this pattern of visiting them almost every day. I would come over and hang out with the two girls (and Zwei), then head back to the Emerald Forest after dinner.

On the days that I didn't go to their house, Yang came to visit me in the forest. I would wait for her at the edge and we would go in together. We would either walk around or sit down and relax. To pass the time, we would chat, hunt for Grimm to kill, or spar with each other, though never as intensely as we did the first time. On one of her visits, I brought her to my house, and she seemed a little surprised that I used to live so close to the Emerald Forest. I told her that I liked to come here from time to time to keep it clean.

This went on for a month until one day, Yang came to see me, bringing bad news. She told me that she would be heading to Beacon tomorrow and would be unable to visit me for a while. This saddened me, so Yang tried to cheer me up by telling me that I would still be able to hang out with Ruby and Zwei. I knew she was right, but I would still miss her a lot. Yang was always fun to be around, whether she was telling funny puns or fighting alongside me.

Yang told me that she needed to head back home to finish packing. I was expecting my usual goodbye punch from her (which I had gotten used to by now), so I was slightly surprised when she suddenly hugged me. A warm feeling spread throughout my body and my cheeks reddened as I hugged her back. My cheeks were still red when we separated.

 _Then_ she gave me my goodbye punch.

Afterward, she turned around and began her trip back to the airship station; though before she was out of sight, she turned and waved one last time. I smiled and returned the gesture. Once she was completely out of sight, I headed back into the forest, unaware of how hectic my life was going to get in a couple of days.

* * *

 **It's over! It's finally over! We never have to hear about it again!**

… **Just kidding, but I am happy that I finished this chapter. I literally worked day and night to complete it! This chapter marks the end of the little arc about Bolt's past. I hope you all enjoyed it!**

 **I also hope you guys are satisfied with the explanation I gave about Pokemon existing in the RWBY universe. Oh, and before anyone can ask, they're not actually called Pokemon in this story. Pokemon is short for "pocket monsters," and there's no way I can explain that since pokeballs don't exist in my story. If you guys see something wrong with the explanation, you can let me know in your reviews.**

 **I gave Bolt those 5 TMs for when he evolves into Lucario to add a little more diversity to his attack set. I've already determined what they are, I just didn't reveal it in this chapter for the sake of suspense. You guys can put in your reviews what you think they are, and they'll be revealed in a future chapter.**

 **Oh right, I decided to make Qrow a shapeshifter in my story. It's just that he can turn into a crow in canon, so I was wondering, what if he could turn into a Murkrow in my story? I literally couldn't get that thought out of my head once I had thought it, so I decided to put it in. Tell me what you guys think!**

 **So what did you guys think of the spar between Bolt and Yang? Was it exciting enough? I like to think I'm good at writing fights (though I'm pretty much terrible at everything else), so please leave your opinions in your reviews!**

 **Now going back to when Riolu used Blaze Kick during the spar. Since Riolu only has one or two long ranged attacks, I decided to make his elemental attacks (Thunder Punch, Ice Punch, and Blaze Kick) projectile moves in addition to being physical attacks. However, I can't take all the credit for this. I came up with this idea after reading one of the chapters from FanaticLAguy06's story, Road to be a Pokemon Master: Orange Islands Arc. You guys should read that; it's superb!**

 **I'll be putting up another poll that doesn't have anything to do with this story. For those of you who have read my profile, you noticed that one of my future story ideas was a crossover for Fairy Tail and Pokemon. I've been contemplating whether or not I should pause this story and post the first chapter for The Fairy Tail Shapeshifter, just to see how you guys like it. So I'm giving you the option. Should I pause this story temporarily and post the first chapter for The Fairy Tail Shapeshifter, or should I continue working on this story and leave that one for a later time? The poll will close after I post Chapter 7, so you guys have plenty of time to vote!**

 **Now it's time for my story recommendations:**

 **The Road to be a Pokemon Master series by FanaticLAguy06 – I can't believe I haven't already recommended this before now. This is an awesome series where Serena moves from Kalos to Kanto and starts her journey with Ash. It features a smarter Ash and Amourshipping! The author is currently up to the Johto Arc.**

 **This War of Mine by Sivam-Surprise – An interesting fanfiction where future Gohan is sent to the RWBY universe after defeating the androids. It's really great, on the level of Power Within, so go check it out!**

 **Misplaced by Maximillian Havisham – A Fairy Tail + RWBY crossover where Natsu ends up in the RWBY universe and is adopted by the Schnee Family. It's got some pretty drastic changes from canon! You guys should definitely read it!**

 **Alright, be prepared for Chapter 6, 'cause it finally kicks off the beginning of the RWBY series, starting with the first episode! Remember to read and review this chapter! Sparky D., out!**


	6. A Night in Vale and Acceptance to Beacon

**I'm back! Here's Chapter 6, the first episode of RWBY! Once again, another HUGE apology for my blunder with the poll last chapter. Now before we begin, I'll answer the reviews from last chapter:**

 **yukicrewger2: Hmmm, I never thought of that. I'll see what I can do. Also, I don't think Meteor Mash works like that from what I've seen in the anime.**

 **As for Flash Cannon, well, Lucario can only learn that by TM. I guess I'll reveal that Flash Cannon is one of the TMs that Bolt showed Qrow last chapter. Its appearance will be the one from the X/Y series. Like I said last chapter, the rest of the TMs will be revealed in a later chapter.**

 **Type match-up won't work on people since people can't really have "types." On Grimm, though, maybe I'll allow it, though I'm pretty sure Grimm would be classified as Dark types. Yes, Dragon Pulse would be very effective on the Dragon Grimm.**

 **Ghost Getter1: Awww, thank you so much! You really made my day with your review! I'm happy to hear that you like my story and my OC! I'll do my best to keep this story going!**

 **jordanlink7856: Um, thanks? I'm not really sure what you mean by that.**

 **Now without further ado, here is Chapter 6!**

* * *

Chapter 6 – A Night in Vale and Acceptance to Beacon!

It was a normal night for anyone in Vale. The sky was clear and the shattered moon was shining in the sky. Little did anyone know, the calm night was about to get exciting. The reason for this was the nefarious criminal, Roman Torchwick.

Roman Torchwick was well-known in the criminal underworld for a lot of crimes such as theft, swindling, and money laundering, among others. And now, he boldly walked down the street with a cigar in his mouth and four henchmen flanking his sides, closing in on the target of his next robbery: a Dust shop by the name of "From Dust Till Dawn."

The orange-haired criminal pushed the door open and walked in, his henchmen following after him. He walked up to the salesclerk, an old man in a red apron, and took the cigar out of his mouth as he began to speak. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to find a Dust shop open this late?" he asked rhetorically as one of the henchmen pointed a gun at the old man, making him put his hands in the air.

"Please," the old man pleaded fearfully. "Just take my Lien and leave."

Roman shushed him. "Calm down, we're not here for your money. Grab the Dust," he ordered his henchmen. As the henchmen moved around, following Roman's order, all of them failed to notice a person in a black cloak hiding in the back of the store.

As one of the henchmen went over to another set of Dust canisters, he took notice of a young girl in a red cloak standing by a rack of magazines, reading one about weapons. The girl's hood was pulled over her head and her back was to him. He pulled out his sword and pointed it at the girl. "All right, kid, put your hands where I can see 'em," he commanded. However, the girl didn't respond whatsoever. In fact, she didn't even acknowledge him.

Growing irritated, he moved toward the girl. "Hey, I said hands in the air! You got a death wish or something?" He touched her shoulder and the girl, Ruby Rose, spun around, revealing her silver irises. She had a pair of headphones over her ears and loud music was blaring from them. Ruby stared at the man questioningly and he pointed to his ears, indicating that he wanted her to remove the headphones.

She complied, taking them off. "Yes?" she asked.

"I said, put your hands in the air! Now!" he repeated.

"Are you… robbing me?" Ruby asked calmly.

"Yes!"

"Ohhh…"

The man was caught off guard when she suddenly kicked him into some canisters of Dust. Roman glanced at him before looking to another henchman and gesturing in the direction the previous man came flying from, silently telling him to take care of the problem.

The henchman ran toward Ruby and pointed his gun at her. "Freeze!" he shouted.

The next thing he knew, Ruby had, in a burst of speed, kicked him out of the store through the window. This finally attracted Roman's attention, and he stared at the little girl through the broken window. As he and the three other henchmen looked on, she pulled out her weapon. Crescent Rose unfolded to scythe mode and Ruby smiled at the criminals before her face took on a determined look. She skillfully spun her scythe around before sticking it in the ground, turning her music off shortly afterward.

Roman gazed at her with an annoyed look on his face. "Okay…" he said. He looked at the henchmen, who were still just staring at the dark haired girl. "Get her," he commanded. That order made them all spring into action, and they all ran forward to attack her.

Ruby was prepared, though. The first guy to reach her swung his sword at her, but she swiftly jumped over the attack, using her scythe as leverage. Ruby swung herself around before planting her feet in the guy's face and sending him flying back. She pulled her scythe out of the ground as she landed.

Two more men raced toward her. Ruby pulled the trigger on her scythe and it fired a single round, causing her to spin around rapidly. While still spinning, she swung the butt of her scythe into the first man, sending him flying into the air, before slamming it down onto the second man. The guy Ruby had kicked through the window had gotten back up and started to open fire at her, but she fired another round from her scythe, using the recoil to shoot around the street before shooting over in his direction. Ruby swept him off his feet, then turned around and knocked him to the ground.

The man Ruby had attacked inside the Dust shop stumbled out. He pulled out a gun and aimed it at the little girl, but before he could shoot, a punch from behind sent him crumpling to the ground.

Everyone turned to look at the newcomer. Due to the black cloak, no part of their body could be seen. Well, except for their arms, which were covered from elbow to wrist by a pair of black gauntlets. The stranger turned to the guy that Ruby knocked into the air, who was stumbling back to his feet. They fired a blast from their gauntlet, sending them flying forward speedily. Before the guy could react, the newcomer punched him in the gut so hard, he went flying toward Roman and landed on the ground in front of him, unconscious.

Roman looked down at the man, unimpressed. "You were worth every cent, truly you were," he remarked sarcastically. He turned to the two people who beat up his henchmen. "Well, Red and…" He turned to the stranger with a raised eyebrow. "… Black Hood, I think we can all say it's been an eventful evening." He took the cigar out of his mouth and crushed it under his cane, then pointed the cane at the duo. "And as much as I'd love to stick around, I'm afraid this—" The bottom of his cane opened up, revealing a scope. "—is where we part ways." He fired a flare blast from his cane.

Ruby aimed her scythe at the ground and fired, using the recoil of her weapon to launch herself into the air, evading the blast. The stranger did the same with their gauntlets. When the two landed on the ground and looked around, Roman was gone.

Ruby began looking around, trying to spot him, when the unknown person tapped her shoulder to get her attention. She looked at them and they pointed in one direction. She followed where the person was pointing and saw Roman climbing the ladder of a building. The stranger ran off after him.

Ruby briefly stayed behind to talk to the salesclerk. "You okay if I go after him?" she asked. When he gave his approval, she ran toward the ladder. Roman had just reached the top and the stranger was in hot pursuit. In order to catch up quickly, Ruby fired a round at the ground, using the recoil to propel herself upward. She landed on the roof of the building, next to the stranger.

"Hey!" she called out.

Roman stopped but didn't turn around. "Persistent," he muttered.

Ruby and the other person stood ready to attack when suddenly, a Bullhead flew up in front of the criminal. The hatch opened and Roman jumped inside, then turned around to face the duo. "End of the line, you two!" he yelled, pulling out a Fire Dust crystal. He tossed it and it landed on the ground in front of Ruby. Roman fired another shot from his cane, but just before it could hit the crystal, someone jumped in between them at the last second. A large explosion occurred.

Thinking he had dealt with the two, Roman laughed wildly but stopped when the smoke cleared. Standing in front of the two was a woman with blonde hair and green eyes. She wore a white long-sleeved shirt and a black high-waisted skirt, as well as black and brown stockings and black boots. She wore a black cape that was purple on the inside. She had a pair of glasses over her eyes and a riding crop in her hand. A purple circle was in front of her, evidently what she had used to block the explosion. This was Glynda Goodwitch.

Ruby stared in awe at the Huntress in front of her. Glynda adjusted her glasses slightly before unleashing a volley of purple blasts on the Bullhead, rocking it back and forth. Roman stumbled around, trying not to lose his balance. He managed to make it to the front of the plane. "We got a Huntress!" he shouted to the pilot; she immediately left her post to go deal with the problem, and Roman took over the driving.

As the airship wobbled in the air, Glynda took the opportunity to attack again. Her body glowed purple and she fired a purple blast into the air. When it was above the airship, it turned into a storm cloud. Shards of ice began to rain down from the cloud, piercing the Bullhead in several spots. One of the shards almost hit Roman, but he managed to duck in time.

At that moment, someone walked to the airship's entrance. The three on the ground could tell it was a woman, apparent from her dress and high heels, though her face was hidden in shadows. Glynda narrowed her eyes at the newcomer. The woman's dress lit up and she shot a blast of fire at Glynda, but the Huntress blocked the attack. However, she used the remains of the attack to try and hit her from below. Glynda saw it coming and backflipped just in time, avoiding the explosion.

Glynda followed up by using her Semblance to take control of the resulting debris and created a makeshift spear, which she launched at the airship. The fire user shot three blasts of fire that broke it apart, but the spear reformed and continued on its course. Roman saw the spear approaching and tilted the Bullhead, letting it bounce off the hull harmlessly. Glynda reformed the debris into three separate spears and prepared to attack the Bullhead again, but the mysterious woman released a wave of fire that incinerated all three projectiles.

Wanting to help out, Ruby transformed her scythe to its sniper rifle mode and began firing at the woman. The stranger in the black cloak lifted their gauntlets and a circle of shells emerged on the outside, going all around. The person fired shots that crackled with electricity. However, despite the double attack, the woman in the airship was able to block or deflect all the shots that came her way with ease. Then she waved her hand and five red circles appeared on the ground.

Both Glynda and the stranger saw what was about to happen. The stranger jumped back while Glynda used her Semblance to push Ruby forward before jumping forward herself, just as the ground beneath them blew up in a series of explosions. This distraction gave the woman and Roman enough time to finally escape. Glynda glared at the retreating Bullhead.

"You're a Huntress," Ruby said in amazement. Glynda looked to her as she continued talking. "Can I have your autograph?"

"We have to go somewhere so I can speak with you," she said in a stern voice. " _Both_ of you." She turned to face the stranger, but the person in the black cloak was already gone. She whirled around, trying to see where they had disappeared to, but there was no sign of them anywhere.

* * *

Ruby was now sitting with a sullen look on her face in a dark room with a single light shining on her. Glynda was walking around her, scolding her.

"I hope you realize that your actions tonight will not be taken lightly, young lady," she said. "You put yourself and others in great danger."

"They started it!" Ruby argued.

"If it were up to me," the older woman went on, "you'd be sent home with a pat on the back… and a slap on the wrist!" She slammed her riding crop on the table for emphasis, and Ruby pulled her hands back with a squeak. "But… there is someone here who would like to meet you." Ruby looked on in confusion and curiosity. Glynda stepped aside, allowing a man with white hair to step inside. He was holding a coffee mug in one hand and a plate of cookies in the other.

"Ruby Rose," he said. He leaned closer to the little girl. "You… have silver eyes."

Said person was unsure how to respond to that. "U-Um…"

The man straightened up. "So," he said. "Where did you learn to do _this_?" He gestured to the tablet in Glynda's hands, where a video of Ruby fighting Roman's henchmen was playing.

"S-Signal Academy," Ruby answered nervously.

"They taught you to use one of the most dangerous weapons ever designed?" he asked.

"Well, one teacher in particular," Ruby clarified.

"I see." The man placed the plate of cookies on the table in front of Ruby. She hesitantly took a cookie and shoved it into her mouth, then began stuffing her face with more cookies when they didn't object. "It's just that I've only seen one other scythe wielder of that skill before. A dusty old crow…"

"Mmmm! That's mah uncle!" Ruby exclaimed with her mouth full. She quickly swallowed the food in her mouth. "Sorry. That's my Uncle Qrow. He's a teacher at Signal. I was complete garbage before he took me under his wing. Now I'm all like hoowah~, watcha~" The silver eyed girl began making fight sounds with her mouth while making karate poses.

"So I've noticed," the man said in amusement, placing his mug on the table and taking a seat. "And what is an adorable girl such as yourself doing at a school designed to train warriors?"

"Well… I want to be a Huntress," Ruby told him.

"You want to slay monsters," he said more than asked.

"Yeah." Ruby nodded. "I only have two more years of training left at Signal, and then I'm going to apply to Beacon. See, my sister's starting there this year and she's trying to become a Huntress, and I'm trying to become a Huntress because I want to help people. My parents always taught us to help others, so I thought 'might as well make a career out of it.'" She giggled, then started speaking faster. "I mean, the police are alright, but Huntsmen and Huntresses are just so much more romantic and exciting and cool and gosh, you know?!"

Glynda was staring at her disapprovingly while the man had a neutral look on his face. "Do you know who I am?" he asked her.

"You're professor Ozpin. You're the headmaster at Beacon," Ruby answered.

"Hello," he said with a smile.

"Nice to meet you!" she said back.

"You want to come to my school?"

"More than anything," she replied.

Ozpin shot a look at Glynda, who rolled her eyes, not approving of his decision but knowing she didn't really have a say in the matter. He looked back to Ruby, a small smile on his face, and said, "Well, okay." Ruby's face lit up in joy.

* * *

The next day, when Ruby and Yang reunited on the airship taking them to Beacon and Yang found out about what had transpired the previous night, Ruby found herself on the receiving end of one of her sister's death hugs.

"Oh, I can't believe my baby sister is going to Beacon with me! This is the best day ever!" she said happily.

"Please… stop…" Ruby gasped out. Her sister released her.

"But I'm so proud of you!" Yang said.

"Really sis, it was nothing," Ruby tried to assure her.

Yang was not to be deterred. "What do you mean? It was incredible! Everyone at Beacon is going to think you're the bee's knees!"

"I don't want to be the bee's knees, okay? I don't want to be any kind of knees!" Ruby complained. "I just want to be a normal girl with normal knees."

"What's with you? Aren't you excited?" the blonde asked, confused as to why her sister seemed so unenthusiastic.

"Of course I'm excited, I just…" The dark haired girl sighed. "I got moved ahead two years. I don't want people to think I'm special or anything."

Yang went over to give her sister a lighter, one-armed hug. "But you are special." Before Ruby could reply to that, the two took notice of a newscast on nearby, talking about last night's robbery.

"The robbery was led by nefarious criminal Roman Torchwick, who continues to evade authorities," the reporter, Cyril, was saying. "If you have any information on his whereabouts, please contact the Vale Police Department."

"Hey, wasn't there someone else with you at the robbery?" Yang inquired.

"Yeah, this mysterious person who was wearing a black cloak," Ruby answered. "I'm not even sure if that person was a guy or a girl because the cloak covered their entire body. They used an awesome set of gauntlets that were kind of like yours, but with Dust!"

"Really?" Yang said, raising an eyebrow. "I'd like to meet them myself."

"But the person just disappeared as soon as the criminals got away," Ruby continued. "I didn't even get the chance to talk to them."

"Well, maybe we'll see them again someday," Yang reassured her.

Just then, a hologram of Glynda Goodwitch took the place of the newscast. "Hello and welcome to Beacon," she said.

"Who's that?" Yang asked.

"My name is Glynda Goodwitch."

"Oh."

"You are among a privileged few who have received the honor of being selected to attend this prestigious academy," Glynda continued. "Our world is experiencing an incredible time of peace, and as future Huntsmen and Huntresses, it is your duty to uphold it. You have demonstrated the courage needed for such a task, and now it is our turn to provide you with the knowledge and the training to protect our world." And with that, the hologram faded, allowing the future students of Beacon to look at the view outside the window.

Ruby's eyes went wide and she ran to the window. "Wow!" she exclaimed, staring down below. "Look! You can see Signal from up here! I guess home isn't too far after all."

Yang walked over and put her arm around Ruby's shoulder. "Beacon's our home now."

Ruby smiled before saying, "I feel kinda bad for Bolt, though. He seemed pretty sad when you left, and now we won't be able to hang out with him anymore."

"Yeah…" Yang said, her smile turning sad for a second. Before the sisters could think on that more, they heard someone groaning. They both turned to see a boy with blonde hair holding his hands to his mouth. He quickly stumbled his way to the back of the airship.

"Well… I guess the view isn't for everyone," Yang remarked with a roll of her eyes.

"It _was_ a nice moment while it lasted," Ruby said.

"I wonder who we're gonna meet!" Yang said in excitement.

"I just hope they're better than Vomit Boy," Ruby replied before she noticed something. "Oh, Yang, gross! You have puke on your shoe!"

"Gross, gross, gross, gross," Yang chanted repeatedly in disgust while waving her shoe around, trying to get the vomit off.

"Get away from me! Get away from me! Get away from me! Get away from me!" Ruby ran around, frantically trying to avoid the disgusting substance landing on her.

* * *

Meanwhile, on the ground, a familiar person in a black cloak was watching the airship that Ruby and Yang were in soar toward Beacon. They stood there for a few seconds before getting a call on their scroll. They picked it up and answered. "Hello?"

"Hey, are you on your way back yet?" asked the person on the other end.

"Not yet, I'm still waiting for an airship to bring me back," they answered.

"I thought you were supposed to be back yesterday?"

"I was, but I stopped to restock on Dust, and then I met someone… interesting. I'll tell you all about it when I get back," the stranger in the cloak said, then hung up. They went back to staring at the airship heading to Beacon. "Farewell, Ruby Rose. We will meet again someday," they said with a glint in their eyes.

* * *

 **There we go! I'm actually surprised with myself; despite this being the first episode of RWBY, which I have saved somewhere, I hadn't expected to have finished this chapter so soon. Don't expect this for future chapters; I don't want to get anyone's hopes up that updating will come about regularly.**

 **I hope you guys liked the fight in this chapter. Who is this mysterious stranger? Are they good or bad? I know who this person is, and their identity will be revealed MUCH later in the story.**

 **Next chapter should be much longer than this one. It'll pretty much follow canon, and Bolt won't be making an appearance there. Sorry guys. I will reveal that Bolt will appear in Chapter 8, though!**

 **Now to wrap things up with my story recommendations:**

 **Working The World With Skill by 0 Jordinio 0 – This is an awesome fanfiction about Ash's journey through Sinnoh. It starts from his battle with Kenny, but deviates from canon a bit. The author thinks it's terrible, but I don't, so go read it and prove to him he's wrong!**

 **Journey through Kanto by Lucy Heart of Fairy Tail – An amazing story where Ash travels through Kanto (obviously) with his little sister, Molly, and his cousin, Ritchie. It features a smarter Ash who can also talk to pokemon!**

 **Fallen Faunus by Xman321 – A magnificent Dragon Ball Z/RWBY crossover where Goku ends up on Remnant instead of Earth and lives with Blake's family on Menagerie. This story is fairly recent, only having the first chapter for now, but it's still worth checking out!**

 **Alright everyone, read and review! Remember to vote in the poll! So far, only one person voted. If I don't get more votes, I'll have to keep it open for a few more chapters. I'll see you all next chapter! Sparky D., out!**


	7. First Day at Beacon

**Hello again, readers! Here's Chapter 7! I'm really sorry that it took so long to post, but I found myself unable to work on my story for a while.**

 **There's not really any action in this chapter, and like I said last chapter, Bolt won't be in it. Before we begin, I'll answer the review from last chapter:**

 **yukicrewger2: Huh. Well, I didn't know that since I've never had a pokemon that could use Meteor Mash in the games, and I've never looked up the move. Well, maybe I will add that in my story. I have started thinking about moves that could be recreated with Bolt's current moveset; you'll be seeing them soon!**

 **As for attacks having multiple forms, I'm well aware of that. In fact, Bolt will be able to use certain moves in more than one way, a good example being his Force Palm, as you've already seen! Though I don't think I've seen a Lairon use Water Pulse in the anime. Ash's Buizel's Water Pulse was my favorite version of the move I've seen in the anime, so that's the one that will be appearing in this story.**

 **I HAVE AN ANNOUNCEMENT AT THE BOTTOM THAT RELATES TO THIS STORY, SO PLEASE READ IT!**

 **Now enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

Chapter 7 – First Day at Beacon

The airships taking students to Beacon finally touched down at their destination. The one holding Ruby and Yang opened its hatch, and the blonde-haired boy rushed out to the trash can outside, where he proceeded to hurl violently.

The other students exited the airship, Yang and Ruby among them. The two sisters walked forward and then stopped, marveling at the sight in front of them; Beacon Academy was vast and majestic. "The view from Vale's got nothing on this," Yang commented.

However, Ruby was no longer staring at the school. She was now focused on the student who just walked past them, or more specifically, their weapon. "Sis! That kid's got a collapsible staff!" she squealed, briefly becoming a chibi version of herself. She gasped when another student walked by. "And she's got a fire sword!" She started floating after the girl, but Yang grabbed her hood and pulled her back, earning a couple of "owws" from the younger girl.

"Easy there, little sister. They're just weapons," Yang told her.

"Just weapons?!" Ruby exclaimed in disbelief. "They're an extension of ourselves! They're a part of us! Oh, they're so cool!"

"Well, why can't you swoon over your own weapon? Aren't you happy with it?" the blonde inquired.

Ruby unfolded her weapon to scythe mode and held it to her face. "Of course I'm happy with Crescent Rose," she replied. "I just really like seeing new ones! It's like meeting new people, but better." She folded up Crescent Rose and put it away.

Yang raised an eyebrow. "You weren't like that when you first met Bolt."

"That was different!" Ruby argued. "I thought Bolt was a dog when I first met him! Besides, his Semblance is really cool!"

"Ruby, come on," Yang urged, pulling her little sister's hood over her head. "Bolt's not here, so why don't you try to make some new friends?"

"But, why would I need friends when I have you?" Ruby questioned, moving her hood up.

"Well, actually…" Yang started as a group of people suddenly appeared behind her. "Myfriendsareherenow! Gottagocatchup! See ya! Bye!" she said really fast as she zoomed away from her sister so fast that it caused her to spin around rapidly.

"Wait! Where are you going?!" the silver-eyed girl called out dizzily. "Are we supposed to go to our dorms? Where are our dorms? Do we have dorms?" She sighed, slowly coming to a stop. "I don't know what I'm doing." At that, she fell backward—right into someone's luggage.

"What are you doing?!" Ruby heard someone yell. She sat up and saw a girl older than her, wearing white clothing with white hair, glaring down at her with pale blue eyes.

"Sorry!" she quickly apologized.

"Sorry?!" the girl repeated in outrage. "Do you have any idea of the damage you could have caused?!"

Ruby picked up one of the suitcases to hand to the older girl, but she snatched it away from her. "Give me that! This is Dust, mined and purified from the Schnee quarry," the girl explained, opening the case to inspect its contents.

"Uhhh…" was all Ruby could say.

"What are you, brain dead?" the girl said, taking out a vial with red Dust in it and closing the case. "Dust! Fire! Water! Lightning! Energy!" With each word, she shook the vial in her hand, not noticing some of the Dust escaping. The Dust floated into Ruby's face, and she started trying to hold back a sneeze.

The white-haired girl still didn't notice this. "Are you even listening to me? Is any of this sinking in? What do you have to say for yourself?" she questioned with another shake of the vial. That final shake was the last straw, and Ruby sneezed, causing an explosion of fire, with some ice and electricity crackling around, too.

The vial went flying through the air and landed by another girl's boot. Said girl picked it up and took a break from her book to inspect it. She spied the logo on the vial, then looked up when she heard shouting.

"Unbelievable!" the girl in white yelled at Ruby, who was pushing her fingers together nervously. "This is exactly the kind of thing I was talking about!"

"I'm really, really sorry!" the younger girl said apologetically.

"You complete _dolt_! What are you even doing here?" she said, finally taking notice that Ruby looked to be younger than her. "Aren't you a little young to be attending Beacon?"

"Well, I-I…" Ruby found it hard to get a word out.

"This isn't your ordinary combat school!" the girl went on. "It's not just sparring and practice, you know. We're here to fight monsters, so… watch where you're going!"

Finally having had enough of her attitude, Ruby found her voice. "Hey, I said I was sorry, princess!" The girl in white seemed taken aback by this, but before she could reply, a new voice entered the conversation.

"It's heiress, actually." Both girls turned to the newcomer, another girl with long black hair and black and white clothing. She wore a black bow on her head and had amber eyes. "Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, one of the largest producers of energy propellant in the world."

The white-haired girl, now known as Weiss, smiled proudly. "Finally, some recognition!" she said with a pointed look at Ruby.

"The same company infamous for its controversial labor forces and questionable business partners," the black-haired girl continued.

Weiss immediately grew angry again. "What- How dare- The nerve of-" Ruby giggled at how speechless the new girl had made her. Weiss stepped closer to the girl, who didn't even flinch, and grabbed the vial from her hand before storming away heatedly.

"I promise I'll make this up to you!" Ruby called after her, but she didn't acknowledge her words. She sighed. "I guess I'm not the only one having a rough first day. So what's—" She turned to the other girl, only to see her walking away, leaving her alone.

Feeling like her day was off to a bad start, the silver-eyed girl sat down on the ground morosely and fell onto her back. "Welcome to Beacon," she told herself gloomily and closed her eyes.

Just then, a shadow appeared above her, and she opened her eyes. She saw the blonde-haired boy from the airship holding his hand out to her. "Hey," he said. "I'm Jaune."

She smiled. "Ruby," she introduced herself, taking his hand. He pulled her to his feet. Then she got a good look at him and she snickered. "Aren't you the guy who threw up on the ship?"

* * *

The two were now walking along, with Jaune trying to justify his actions. "All I'm saying is that motion sickness is a much more common problem than people let on!"

"Look, I'm sorry," Ruby apologized. "Vomit Boy was the first thing that came to mind."

"Oh yeah? What if I called you Crater Face?" he challenged.

"Hey, that explosion was an accident!" she replied indignantly.

"Well, the name's Jaune Arc. Short, sweet, rolls off the tongue. Ladies love it."

"Do they?" Ruby asked dubiously with a raised eyebrow.

"They will!" he assured her. "Well, I hope they will. I mean, my mom always says that… Eh, never mind."

Ruby laughed, then thought about what to talk about now. "Sooo," she began. "I got this thing!" She pulled out Crescent Rose and unfolded it to scythe mode.

Jaune jumped back in fright. "Whoa! Is that a scythe?"

"It's also a customizable, high-impact, sniper rifle!" Ruby said proudly.

"Uh, what?" Jaune said, not understanding what she just said.

"It's also a gun," she clarified, cocking her weapon.

"Oh. That's cool!"

"So, what do you got?" Ruby asked excitedly.

"Oh, uh, I got this sword," he answered, pulling out his sword.

"Oooh," Ruby said, gazing at the weapon.

"Yeah, I've got a shield, too." Jaune pulled that out next, expanding it to full size.

"So, what do they do?" Ruby asked, touching the shield. However, she accidentally pressed the button and caused it to collapse and expand, making Jaune juggle it around before stopping it.

"The shield gets smaller so, when I get tired of carrying it, I can just… put it away," he explained.

"But… wouldn't it weigh the same?" Ruby questioned.

Jaune sighed. "Yeah, it does," he admitted.

"Well…" Ruby chuckled nervously. "I'm kind of a dork when it comes to weapons. I guess I did go a little overboard in designing it…"

"Wait, you made that?" he asked in surprise.

"Of course! All students at Signal forge their own weapons!" she informed him. "Didn't you make yours?"

"It's a hand-me-down," Jaune admitted. "My great-great-grandfather used it to fight in the war."

"Sounds more like a family heirloom to me!" Ruby joked. "Well, I like it! Not many people have an appreciation for the classics these days."

"Yeah, the classics…" he said, feeling a little better as he put his sword away.

"So why'd you help me out back there? In the courtyard?" she questioned.

"Eh, why not? My mom always says, 'strangers are just friends you haven't met yet,'" Jaune responded.

"Hmmm," was her reply.

"By the way, I wanted to ask you earlier…" Jaune said. "I heard you say the name Bolt on the airship. Who is that? You don't have to tell me if it's personal."

"Oh, it's not personal," Ruby replied. "Bolt's one of my friends. He was really fun to hang out with." She smiled.

"So, now that you're here, you won't be able to hang out with him at Signal?" he guessed.

"Oh, Bolt didn't go to school," Ruby told him.

"What? Why not?"

"Well… you'll have to ask him that yourself, if you ever meet him," she said, not wanting to share the reason since that was personal for him. "By the way, where are we going?"

Jaune seemed to realize that they were just walking around the Beacon grounds aimlessly. "Oh, I don't know. I was following you." The two stopped walking, realizing they were lost. "Y-You think there might be a directory? Maybe a food court? Some sort of recognizable landmark?" Ruby snickered. "Was, uh, was that a no?"

She snickered again. "That's a no."

* * *

After about 15 more minutes of walking around, Ruby and Jaune finally found where they were supposed to go: the auditorium. There were already lots of other students gathered inside.

"Ruby!" the two heard a voice calling out to them, which happened to be said girl's older sister. She was waving to Ruby. "Over here! I saved you a spot!"

"Oh!" She turned to her new friend. "Hey, I-I gotta go! I'll see you after the ceremony!" With that, she ran off to meet up with her sister.

"Hey, wait!" Jaune called after her. He sighed. "Great. Where am I supposed to find another nice, quirky girl to talk to?" He walked off to find somewhere to stand, unaware of a girl that he just described, with long, scarlet hair, emerald green eyes, and clothed in armor, staring after him.

Meanwhile, Ruby had just reached her older sister. "How's your first day going, little sister?" Yang asked her.

Ruby glared at her. "You mean since you ditched me and I exploded?"

"Yikes. Meltdown already?"

"No, I literally exploded a hole in front of the school!" Ruby corrected her. "And there was some fire, and I-I think some ice…"

Thinking she was joking, Yang smiled and asked, "Are you being sarcastic?"

"I wish!" Ruby said as she told Yang what had happened after she left her, unaware that the person she was talking about was standing right behind her. "I tripped over some crabby girl's luggage, and then she yelled at me, and then I sneezed, and then I exploded, and then she yelled again, and I felt really, really bad, and I just wanted her to stop yelling at me!"

"You!" Weiss yelled, finally making herself known.

"Oh gosh, it's happening again!" Ruby cried, comically jumping into Yang's arms.

"You're lucky we weren't blown off the side of the cliff!" she continued.

"Oh my gosh, you really exploded," Yang realized with wide eyes.

"It was an accident," Ruby said, getting on her feet. "It was an accident!" A pamphlet that read "Dust for Dummies and other Inadequate Individuals" was abruptly thrust into the younger girl's face. "What's this?"

"The Schnee Dust Company is not responsible for any injuries or damages sustained while operating a Schnee Dust Company product," she recited, sounding monotonous. "Although not mandatory, the Schnee Family highly encourages their customers to read and familiarize themselves with this easy-to-follow guide to Dust applications and practices in the field."

"Uhhh…" was Ruby's response.

"You really want to start making things up to me?" Weiss asked.

"Absolutely?" Ruby replied.

Weiss pushed the pamphlet into Ruby's hands. "Read this and don't ever speak to me again."

"Look, uh…" Yang spoke up, trying to play peacemaker. "It sounds like you two just got off on the wrong foot. Why don't you start over and try to be friends, okay?"

"Yeah! Great idea, sis!" Ruby said, happy to comply. She cleared her throat and held out her hand. "Hello, Weiss, I'm Ruby! Wanna hang out? We could go shopping for school supplies."

"Yeah, and we can paint our nails, and try on clothes, and talk about cute boys like tall, blonde, and… scraggly over there!" the white-haired girl said sarcastically while pointing to Jaune.

"Wow! Really?" Ruby asked excitedly, not picking up on her sarcasm.

Weiss gave her a cold look. "No." Ruby frowned sadly.

At that moment, the sound of a microphone caught everyone's attention. They all looked toward the front and saw Professor Ozpin standing there, ready to speak. "I'll… keep this brief," the headmaster began. "You've traveled here today in search of knowledge. To hone your craft and acquire new skills. And when you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people. But I look amongst you, and all I see is wasted energy in need of purpose, direction.

"You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step," Ozpin finished before walking away. Glynda took his place at the mike.

"You will gather in the ballroom tonight," she announced. "Tomorrow, your initiation begins. Be ready. You are dismissed." With that, she walked off as well.

"He seemed kind of… off," Yang commented.

"It's almost like he wasn't even there," Ruby agreed.

The serious mood was broken when Jaune walked over. "I'm a natural blond, you know," he said to Weiss, who facepalmed in response.

* * *

It was now nighttime, and students were assembling in the ballroom as they were instructed to do. The young, silver-eyed girl was lying down, now wearing her pajamas, on her sleeping bag, writing something down, when her sister plopped down next to her. She had also changed into her pajamas. "It's like a big slumber party!" the blonde remarked cheerfully.

"I don't think Dad would approve of all the boys, though," Ruby said without looking up from what she was writing.

"I know I do," Yang said. She purred, seeing some of the boys shirtless, but then she grimaced when Jaune walked into her field of vision, wearing footie pajamas. "Now if only Bolt were here…" She turned her attention to what Ruby was writing. "What's that?"

"A letter to the gang back at Signal," her sister answered. "I promised to tell them all about Beacon and how things are going."

"Awww, that's so cute!" Yang gushed.

"Shut up!" Ruby said, throwing a pillow into her sister's face. "I didn't get to take my friends with me to school. It's weird not knowing anyone here."

"What about Jaune? He's…nice," Yang told her. "There you go! Plus one friend! That's 100 percent increase!"

"Pretty sure Weiss counts as a negative friend," Ruby retorted, flopping onto her back. "Back to zero."

"There's no such thing as negative friends. You just made one friend and one enemy!" The blonde got another pillow thrown into her face for that remark. "Look, it's only been one day. Trust me, you've got friends all around you. You just haven't met them yet."

The girls heard the sound of a fire igniting and took notice of the black-haired girl Ruby had met earlier that day. She was wearing black pajamas and reading a book by candlelight.

"That girl…" Ruby muttered.

"You know her?" Yang inquired.

"Not really," Ruby replied. "She saw what happened this morning but left before I could say anything."

"Well, now's your chance!" Before Ruby could realize what was going on, Yang grabbed her arm and started dragging her toward the girl.

"Wait! What are you doing?!" Ruby struggled to escape her sister's grasp in vain. The sounds of her struggling attracted the attention of the girl they were going to talk go to.

"Hello!" Yang called out. "I believe you two may know each other."

"Aren't you that girl that exploded?" the girl in black questioned.

"Uh, yeah! My name's Ruby!" The younger girl held out her hand for the other girl to shake, but she just looked back to her book, so Ruby pulled her hand back. "But you can just call me Crater… Actually, you can just call me Ruby."

The girl continued reading her book. "Okay."

"What are you doing?" Yang whispered.

"I don't know, help me!" Ruby whispered back. The two girls turned back to the black-haired girl with smiles on their faces.

"So… what's your name?" Yang asked.

The girl sighed. "Blake," she answered.

"Well Blake, I'm Yang, Ruby's older sister," the blonde introduced herself. "I like your bow!"

"Thanks," she responded.

"It goes great with your… pajamas!" Yang continued.

Blake kept on reading, not looking at the sisters in front of her. "Right."

The two girls were unsure of what to say now, especially since Blake didn't seem keen on talking. "Nice night, don't you think?" Yang tried.

Wanting them to leave, Blake looked up from her book. "Yes, it's lovely. Almost as lovely as this book." She waited, but Ruby and Yang didn't seem to get the hint. "That I will continue to read." They still stood in front of her, so she bluntly said, "As soon as you leave." Then she went back to reading.

"Yeah, this girl's a lost cause," Yang told her sister.

"What's it about?" Ruby asked abruptly.

Blake looked up again, surprised by the sudden change in topic. "Huh?"

"Your book," Ruby clarified. "Does it have a name?"

"Well, it's about a man with two souls, each fighting for control over his body," Blake answered.

"Oh yeah, that's… real lovely," Yang remarked.

The younger girl stepped forward. "I love books. Yang used to read to me every night before bed. Stories of heroes and monsters; they're one of the reasons I wanna be a Huntress."

"And why is that?" the black-haired girl asked curiously. "Hoping you'll live happily ever after?"

"Well, I'm hoping we all will," Ruby told her. "As a girl, I wanted to be just like those heroes in the books: someone who fought for what was right, and who protected people who couldn't protect themselves."

Blake actually smiled. "That's… very ambitious for a child," she said, lowering her book. Then she frowned. "Unfortunately, the real world isn't the same as a fairy tale."

"Well, that's why we're here. To make it better," the silver-eyed girl said.

Yang had been listening to the conversation and decided now was a good time to step in. "Oh, I'm so proud of my baby sister!" she said, grabbing her by the waist and hoisting her into the air.

Ruby began struggling to get free. "Cut it out!" she said, punching her sister in the face, which started a comedic brawl.

"Well Ruby, Yang," Blake said, trying to get them to stop fighting. "It's a pleasure to—" She was cut off when another person showed up to see the cause of the ruckus.

"What in the world is going on over here?!" Weiss Schnee, now in her nightgown, yelled as she came over. "Don't you realize some of us are trying to sleep?!" She did a double take when she saw who was causing the noise; at the same time, Yang had noticed who had come over. "Oh, not you again!" the two girls yelled in unison.

Ruby was quick to shush them. "Guys, she's right! People are trying to sleep!"

"Oh, now you're on my side?" Weiss said.

"I was always on your side!" Ruby argued.

"Yeah, what's your problem with my sister? She's only trying to be nice!" Yang told Weiss.

"She's a hazard to my health!" the heiress countered.

Meanwhile, Blake rolled her eyes and decided that she wouldn't be able to get any more reading done, so she put her book down and picked up the candle she had been using. She blew out the flame, covering the room in total darkness and ending the argument.

* * *

It was now the next morning, and one particular student was extremely hyperactive. An orange-haired girl was standing over her friend, a black-haired boy with a pink streak in his hair, as he woke up. "Wake up, lazy bud!" she chirped.

He sat up with a sigh while she continued talking. "It's morning, it's morning, it's morning, it's morning!" she sang. He sighed again as the two began going through their morning routines, starting by brushing their teeth. "I can't believe we've been at Beacon for a full 24 hours! Not that I thought we'd get kicked out or anything; I mean, you're the perfect student and I'm, well, I'm me! But it's just crazy, you know?"

They moved back to the room, where the boy was packing his sleeping bag, while the girl was brushing her hair, talking all the while. "We've been friends for sooooo long! What are the odds we'd still be together? Well, not together, together. Not that I'm not saying you're not handsome, you are handsome, but that'd just be weird, right?"

Now the pair was eating pancakes; the girl was still talking, even with a pancake in her mouth. "Right, what was I thinking? But still, I hope we end up on the same team together." She slurped the pancake into her mouth. "Oooh, we should come up with some sort of plan. To make sure we end up on the same team together! What if we bribe that master? No, that won't work; he has a school."

The duo moved to the locker room, where the boy was collecting his weapons from his locker while his orange-haired companion continued to talk away, zipping around him. "I know! We'll have some sort of signal, like a distress signal! A secret signal so we can find each other in the forest! Can you imitate a sloth?"

Her black-haired friend chose now to speak up. "Nora?"

"Yes, Ren?" Nora asked.

Ren slid his weapons into his sleeves. "I don't think sloths make a lot of noise."

Nora was silent for a few seconds before she started talking again. "That's why it's perfect! No one will suspect we're working together!"

"Come on Nora, let's go," Ren said with a small smile, closing his locker and walking away.

"But not together, together." Nora giggled and ran after him; the two passed Ruby and Yang on their way out. The two sisters were now dressed in their combat outfits.

"Wonder what those two were so worked up about," Ruby commented.

"Oh, who knows?" Yang said, turning to face her sister. "So, you seem awfully chipper this morning!"

"Yep! No more awkward small talk or getting-to-know-you stuff!" Ruby replied happily. "Today, I get to let my sweetheart do the talking!" She pulled her scythe out of her locker and rubbed it across her face affectionately.

"Well, remember Ruby, you're not the only one going through initiation," Yang reminded her. "If you wanna grow up, you're gonna have to meet new people and learn to work together."

Ruby groaned in response. "Ugh, you sound like Dad! Okay, first of all, what does meeting people have to do with fighting? And secondly, I don't need people to help me grow up! I drink milk." She folded her arms triumphantly.

"But what about when we form teams?" Yang inquired.

"I-I don't know, I…" Ruby turned away unsurely. "I'll just be on your team or something…"

"Maybe you should try being on someone else's team," Yang suggested, playing with her hair.

"My dearest sister Yang," Ruby said, walking up to her older sister and pointing a finger at her, "are you implying that you do not wish to be on the same team as me?!"

Yang waved her hands nervously. "What? No, of course I do! I just thought, I don't know, maybe it would help you break out of your shell."

"What the- I don't need to break out of my shell!" Ruby exclaimed indignantly. "That's absolutely—"

"Ridiculous!" Jaune said as he walked past the sisters, his eyes on a piece of paper in his hands. "There's no way I put my gear in locker 636 yesterday; I would've remembered having to count that high!" He moaned. "Why does this have to happen today?" He walked past Weiss and the girl who had been watching him yesterday.

"So Pyrrha, have you given any thought to whose team you would like to be on?" the heiress asked. "I'm sure everyone must be eager to unite with such a strong, well-known individual such as yourself."

"Hmmm, I'm not quite sure," Pyrrha replied. "I was planning on letting the chips fall where they may."

"Well, I was thinking maybe we could be on a team together," Weiss suggested.

"Well, that sounds grand!" Pyrrha said.

"Great!" Weiss said, then turned to her thoughts. " _This will be perfect! The smartest girl in class combined with the strongest girl in class! Together we will be unstoppable! I can see it now! We'll be popular! We'll be celebrities! We'll get perfect grades! Nothing can come between us now!_ "

The white-haired girl was broken from her thoughts by a familiar blonde-haired boy. "You know what else is great? Me. Jaune Arc, nice to meet you," Jaune said.

"You again?" Weiss questioned in irritation.

"Nice to meet you, Jaune," Pyrrha spoke up, smiling.

"Yeah, yeah," he said, pushing her out of the way. "So, Weiss, I couldn't help but overhear your fondness for me the other day."

Weiss brought her hand to her face in exasperation. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me."

"Don't worry, no need to be embarrassed," Jaune went on. "So, been hearing rumors about teams! I was thinking you and me would make a good one! What do you say?"

Pyrrha entered the conversation again. "Actually, I think the teams are comprised of four students each, so…"

"You don't say," Jaune said, turning his attention to the redhead now. "Well hot stuff, play your cards right and maybe you could join up with the winning team."

Weiss decided now was a good time to intervene as she got between the two. "Jaune, is it? Do you have any idea who you're talking to?"

"Not in the slightest, Snow Angel," Jaune answered.

"This is Pyrrha," Weiss introduced.

"Hello again!" Said girl waved to him.

"Pyrrha graduated top of her class at Sanctum," Weiss bragged.

"Never heard of it," the blonde-haired boy said.

Weiss scoffed. "She's won the Mistral Regional Tournaments four years in a row! A new record!"

Jaune's face still held a clueless expression. "The what?"

Weiss glared at him. "She's on the front of every Pumpkin Pete's Marshmallow Flakes box!" she shouted, flailing her arms around angrily.

He gasped. "That's you?! They only do that for star athletes and cartoon characters!"

"Yeah, it was pretty cool," Pyrrha admitted with a smile, then frowned. "Sadly, the cereal isn't very good for you."

"So after hearing all this, do you really think you're in a position to ask _her_ to be on your team?" the heiress asked Jaune.

"I guess not…" He hung his head. "Sorry."

Pyrrha walked over and put her hand on his shoulder. "Actually, Jaune, I think you'd make a great leader," she told him.

Jaune immediately perked back up. "D'oh, stop it!" he said, flattered.

"Seriously, please stop it," Weiss put in. "This kind of behavior should not be encouraged."

"Sounds like Pyrrha's on board for Team Jaune," he said, sidling up to the heiress. "Spots are filling up quick. Now, I'm not supposed to do this, but maybe I could pull some strings, find a place for you." He began moving closer to her. "What do you say?"

"All right, that's a bit too close!" she said, moving back and turning to the scarlet-haired warrior. "Pyrrha, a little help, please?!"

Pyrrha responded by throwing her spear at Jaune, sending him flying into a locker, where he remained stuck.

"I'm sorry!" Pyrrha called out to him.

Just then, Glynda's voice was heard over the PA. "Would all first-year students please report to Beacon Cliff for initiation? Again, all first-year students report to Beacon Cliff immediately."

Weiss walked past Jaune, who was still stuck to a locker, without a glance while Pyrrha stopped to get her spear. "It was nice meeting you!" she told Jaune as she pulled out her spear.

"Likewise," he groaned out with a dazed expression on his face.

Yang and Ruby walked up to him. "Having some trouble there, lady killer?" the blonde asked in amusement while her sister held out a hand to Jaune.

"I don't understand. My dad said all women look for is confidence!" he said. "Where did I go wrong?"

"Snow Angel probably wasn't the best start," Yang said as she walked away.

Ruby helped Jaune to his feet. "Come on Jaune, let's go." The two made their way to Beacon Cliff.

* * *

All of the students were now on the cliff, each one standing on a gray square. With all the students now here, Professor Ozpin began to explain what was to be done. "For years, you have trained to become warriors, and today, your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest."

Yang's smile grew a bit more when she heard the headmaster's last words.

"Now, I'm sure many of you have heard rumors about the assignment of teams," Glynda spoke up next. "Well, allow us to put an end to your confusion. Each of you will be given teammates… today."

"What? Ohhh…" Ruby moaned.

"These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon," Ozpin continued. "So it is in your best interest to be paired with someone with whom you can work well."

Ruby groaned in response to his words.

"That being said, the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years."

Ruby felt like her world just shattered. "What?!"

"See? I told you!" Nora said to her black-haired companion, who said nothing in response.

"After you've partnered up, make your way to the northern end of the forest," Ozpin instructed. "You will meet opposition along the way. Do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path… or you **will** die."

Jaune chuckled nervously, then gulped.

"You will be monitored and graded for the duration of your initiation," he went on. "But our instructors will not intervene. You will find an abandoned temple at the end of the path, containing several relics. Each pair must choose one and return to the top of the cliff. You will guard that item, as well as your standing, and grade you appropriately. And finally, one last thing to say…"

Ozpin looked at all the students. "For the past few years, we've noticed a… creature… in the forest. This strange creature is not actually a Grimm, so you don't have to worry about attacking it or vice versa. It generally prefers to stay away from people, though. It has an unusual ability, but nothing to be concerned about." Yang and Ruby shared a knowing glance, something Ozpin took note of but didn't comment on. "Are there any questions?"

Jaune raised his hand. "Yeah, um, sir—"

"Good!" the headmaster said, completely ignoring the blonde-haired boy. "Now, take your positions!"

All of the students entered different stances; some of them already had their weapons drawn. The only person who didn't change anything was Jaune, as he was still trying to get Ozpin's attention. "Uh, sir? I've got, um, a question."

The square Weiss was standing on, all the way at the end, suddenly launched itself forward, sending the heiress flying through the air.

"So, this landing strategy thing…" Jaune went on as more students were thrown off the cliff. "W-What is it? You're like, dropping us off or something?"

Professor Ozpin's gaze remained expressionless. "No. You will be falling."

"Oh, I see," he said, ironically missing more students being launched off of platforms. "So, like, did you hand out parachutes for us?" After he asked that, Nora was launched off her platform with an excited scream.

Ozpin's gaze still didn't change. "No. You will be using your own landing strategy."

"Uh-huh…" Jaune said. Three tiles away from him, another student was launched into the forest. Yang turned to her sister and winked before putting on a pair of sunglasses as she was sent flying into the forest. Ruby smiled, and then it was her turn, leaving only Jaune now. "So, uh, what exactly is a landing strategyyyyyy…!" His square launched him into the forest, where he continued to scream as he flew through the air.

Ozpin simply took a sip from his coffee as he watched the students hurtle toward the forest.

* * *

 **And that is the end of Chapter 7! Next chapter will commence with the initiation, and obviously, Bolt will return! Stay tuned!**

 **Now for my announcement. It's a bit saddening that only one person voted in my poll, considering how long it was up and how many views my story has. However, despite the fact that the only person who did vote in my poll voted no, I've decided to take a break from this story temporarily and work on the first chapter for The Fairy Tail Shapeshifter! This doesn't mean I'm giving up on this story; I'm simply putting it on hold. I want to see how you guys react to that story and maybe get your opinions on which one you like better!**

 **Now to finish up with my story recommendations:**

 **The Adventures of Fairy Tail by Lucy Heart of Fairy Tail – This is a retelling of the actual anime in which Lucy has a different personality and new magic! Check it out!**

 **Ultimate Fairy by Ultimate10 – A Ben 10/Fairy Tail crossover where Ben gets sent to Fiore and joins the Fairy Tail guild. This story is full of laughs and action, definitely one to read!**

 **An Unexpected Reunion by keaton-furman-power – A pokemon fanfiction where Ash meets Serena and Calem during the Johto League and heads to Kalos after Johto instead of Hoenn. It's awesome, so please read it!**

 **Well, I'll see you all at the first chapter for The Fairy Tail Shapeshifter! In the meantime, favorite, follow, and leave a review for this story! Sparky D., out!**


	8. Initiation, Part 1

**Hello, readers! Sparky D. is back with another action-filled chapter! Sorry it took so long to get this out; my reasons why are at the bottom. I decided to split the initiation into two parts. First, I'll answer the reviews from last chapter:**

 **Sornosquinfallen: Thanks for the support! Hope you like my other fanfic!**

 **spiral fury (formerly terrence fernando): Thank you very much! I hope you like this chapter!**

 **Electroacousto16: Thank you so much for your kind words! I'm sorry Bolt wasn't in the last two chapters as well, but I think this chapter and the next one will more than make up for his absences!**

 **About Black Hood… yeah, you'll have to wait and see if you're right :)**

 **I'm flattered you think that about my story! Again, thanks so much, and I hope you also enjoy my other fanfic! Also, you made a slight mishap with my name. The number is 98, not 68.**

 **YeTianshi: Hmm, I can't really answer that question. Sorry. Thanks for being honest, and I'm glad you seem to like this story! Also, if you read past Chapter 5, you'll see that the story is no longer written in first person.**

 **delta4phoenix: I'm so glad I saw this review as I was just about to post my next chapter before I saw this. Thank you so much! I'm glad my story cheered you up and I hope you like my other story too!**

 **Now, go ahead and read Chapter 8, the first part of the initiation and Bolt's return!**

* * *

Chapter 8 – Initiation: Part 1

Deep within the darkness of the forest known as the Emerald Forest, all was quiet. Currently lounging in one of the trees was a familiar blue, dog-like creature. The blue creature was sitting on a branch, leaning back against the bark with his hands behind his head and his eyes closed.

Bolt had already gone through his morning meditation and had taken down a couple of Grimm. He decided to take a short break before going hunting for more.

However, after a few minutes of relaxing, his eyes snapped open. He hopped to the ground and landed on his feet. " _I sense someone's in the forest,_ " he thought. Bolt's eyes narrowed. " _More auras are popping up. This can only mean one thing._ " He began to run through the forest, heading for his hiding spot.

The shapeshifter was well aware that every year, there was always a time when the forest was filled with auras, meaning people were entering the forest. He didn't know why, but he did know that it didn't last too long. At the end of the day, all of the people left the forest. He just decided to keep away from them, never revealing himself. It seemed that time of year had come again.

Suddenly, Bolt slid to a stop, his eyes wide. " _That aura… could it be?_ " he wondered. Just then, he heard a sound, one that he had gotten very used to: the pulsing sound of a particular pair of gauntlets being fired. In the distance, he heard a faint yell, making his eyes widen further as he recognized it before a broad smile crossed his face.

" **Yang's back!** " Bolt shouted with joy. Immediately, he made a beeline for his first friend, excited about once again getting to hang out with her.

* * *

High above the forest, a small, black bird was slowly flapping through the air. It didn't remain in the sky for long as Ruby went flying through it in a burst of feathers, ending its life.

"Birdie, no!" she cried. The silver-eyed girl fired a few shots to slow her descent before switching to scythe mode and hooking it onto a branch. She swung around a couple of times before dropping to the ground. Weiss simply used her Glyphs as stepping stones to help her get down to the forest safely. Ren used his weapons to hook onto a tree trunk and spiral around it to the ground. As he dusted himself off, he heard what sounded like an explosion in the sky. He looked up, seeing a yellow blur that happened to be Yang.

"Woohoo!" the blonde cheered, firing her gauntlets to keep herself in the air. She laughed as she fired continuously, shouting in joy. Of course, it wasn't the only reason Yang was shooting constantly; she wanted to attract Bolt's attention as well. Once she felt comfortable that he heard her shots, she aimed herself down toward the trees, jumping off a couple of the trunks and hitting the ground in a roll. She quickly got up and started running. "Nailed it!"

Pyrrha went falling with her shield out in front of her, bashing through a few trees before coming to a stop on a tree branch. She rolled onto her feet while pointing her rifle out, searching for anything. Through the scope, she spotted Jaune falling helplessly and screaming. The scarlet-haired warrior shifted her rifle to its javelin form, reared her arm back, and threw her weapon with all her might. The javelin disappeared from sight along with the blond-haired boy.

A few seconds later, she heard the thunk of her weapon meeting tree bark, and then she heard someone yell out, "Thank you!"

"I'm sorry!" she called back.

* * *

On the forest floor, everything was silent, until Ruby hit the ground with a loud thud. The little girl immediately took off with only one thought going through her head: " _Gotta find Yang._ " She continued to run, even calling out her sister's name, but to no avail as it seemed the blonde brawler wasn't anywhere nearby.

" _Oh, this is bad, this is really bad,_ " Ruby thought. " _What if I can't find her? What if someone finds her first? Well, there's always Jaune._ " She smiled as she thought about the blond who helped her just yesterday. " _He's nice, and he's funny!_ " Then she frowned. " _But I don't think he'd do very well in a fight._ " She perked up again as she thought of someone else. " _Oh, what about Blake? So mysterious, so calm. Plus, she likes books!_ " Ruby frowned again. " _Then again, I'm not sure I'd be able to hold a conversation with her._ " Then she remembered another person. " _Hey, Bolt's in this forest, too! Maybe I could partner up with him! Except…_ " Once again, she frowned. " _… he's not a student._ " She shook her head to clear her mind. " _Okay, who else do I know in this school? There's Yang, Jaune, Blake, and…_ "

The silver-eyed girl skidded to a stop just as Weiss turned around to see the cause of the sudden noise. Ruby looked up, and their eyes met. At first, the two did nothing but stand and stare. Weiss' eyes narrowed slightly while Ruby gave a small smile.

Then the white-haired girl turned around and walked away.

"Wait! Where are you going?!" Ruby cried. She kicked the ground dejectedly. "We're supposed to be teammates…"

Weiss walked through some bushes and pushed aside some leaves before she came to an even more unpleasant sight, at least in her point of view.

"Come on, come on! Stupid…" Above her, Jaune was struggling to dislodge the javelin from the tree and his hoodie so he could get down. He spotted the heiress below staring at him and laughed nervously while waving at her. Her only response was to go back the way she came, back to where she left Ruby.

"By no means does this make us friends," she said to the younger girl as she grabbed her hood and began to drag her away.

"You came back!" Ruby cheered.

Jaune called out to them as they got farther away. "Hey, wait! Come back! Who's gonna get me down from here?"

"Jaune." He looked down to see who called him and saw the person who saved his life standing there. "Do you… have any spots left on your team?" she asked.

Jaune crossed his arms and looked away. "Very funny," he said, though he looked back at her with a smile, which she returned. Their moment was cut short when a speeding blue blur abruptly passed by, jumping off the weapon and causing it to get unstuck from the tree, leaving Jaune to fall on his face. "Oof!"

"Jaune!" Pyrrha shouted in shock. She ran over to help him up. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," he replied, dusting himself off. "What was that though?" He looked around for what caused him to fall.

"I'm not sure," the redhead answered. "Could it have been that strange creature the professor warned us about?"

"Well, whatever it was, it was super fast!" Jaune observed. "It seemed like it was in a hurry to get somewhere."

Pyrrha had to agree, though she decided they should focus on their task for now. "Let's just get to the temple."

* * *

Somewhere else in the forest, Cardin Winchester had already found his partner: a boy with light brown hair wearing body armor named Dove Bronzewing. The two boys were heading north when they heard something moving through the trees and managed to catch sight of a blue blur leaping from branch to branch.

"Whoa! Did you see that?" Dove asked his partner.

The larger boy nodded. "Yeah. What was that? It looked blue, so it couldn't have been a Grimm…" Then the headmaster's words echoed through his mind. "It must have been that creature Ozpin spoke of!" Then he got a diabolical idea. "What if we catch it?"

"Huh?"

"If we were to get that thing, I bet we could get extra credit or something!" Cardin elucidated with a smirk. "Come on!" He ran after the blur, leaving his partner no choice but to follow.

Meanwhile, Bolt was still heading for where he sensed Yang's aura. He was so excited that he would get to see her again that he almost didn't notice the two other auras following after him. _Almost_.

" _What the—_ " was all he could think when he stopped before he suddenly found himself being shot at. He scrambled to another branch to avoid the shots and, out of the corner of his eye, spotted a projectile flying his way, said projectile being Cardin's mace. He narrowed his eyes as his tail became as hard as steel and used his Iron Tail to knock the weapon away before vanishing with Agility.

The two boys stopped when they saw the creature disappear. "Where did it go?!" Cardin exclaimed in shock. He hadn't expected the thing to be that fast. As they looked around, trying to locate the Riolu, Cardin was caught off guard when he heard a crash behind him. He turned around and was shocked to see Dove on the ground, unconscious. He continued to look around frantically as he tried to spot the creature but to no avail.

Bolt reappeared behind Cardin as the large boy was looking away from him. His fist glowed red, indicating Bullet Punch, and he shot forward at incredible speeds, punching the mace wielder in the back. Cardin cried out in pain as he fell forward onto his face. He got up quickly and whirled around but was met with empty air. The boy growled. "Show yourself, you freak!"

Bolt glared at him from where he was hiding. " _I can't waste any more time on this guy,_ " he thought. He began moving again as Cardin searched around for him. Cardin looked all around himself before turning to check behind him. All he saw was a glowing white leg, and then he was knocked out too.

Bolt landed on the ground. " **Jerks,** " he huffed. Then he continued on his course to meet up with Yang.

* * *

Ruby and Weiss continued their trek through the Emerald Forest at a fast pace. "What's the hurry?" the younger girl inquired.

"I will not let my mission be delayed because you're too slow," Weiss answered bluntly. "If I get a bad grade because of your—" She was cut off when Ruby suddenly appeared in front of her, catching her by surprise. "What the—?!"

"I'm not slow, see? You don't have to worry about me!" Ruby boasted.

The heiress looked behind herself. "When did…?"

"Weiss, just because I don't exactly know how to deal with people, doesn't mean I don't know how to deal with monsters!" The silver-eyed girl put an arm around the annoyed heiress' shoulder. "You're about to see a whole different side of me today, Weiss! And after it's all over, you're gonna be all like, 'Wow, that Ruby girl is really, really cool… and I want to be her friend.'" Weiss just rolled her eyes as Ruby zoomed away again with her Semblance, leaving behind rose petals which Weiss waved away with her hand.

"You may be fast, but you still excel at wasting time!" she called out. When she didn't receive a response, she started to get nervous. "Ruby?" There was still no answer. The only sound nearby was the rustling of the bushes. "Ruby?" the heiress asked again. She started when she found herself surrounded by several pairs of glowing red eyes and growling noises. From one of the bushes, a Beowolf crept out. "Ruby!" The Grimm roared at her.

* * *

Elsewhere, Yang was walking through the forest by herself, still waiting for Bolt to show up. As she walked, she was oblivious to a Beowolf that was silently creeping up on her. The blonde only became aware of it when it roared loudly and lifted up one of its claws to strike her. Yang was about to jump back and activate her weapons but found she didn't have to when the beast suddenly froze and fell over, dead. The culprit was revealed to be the blue-haired shapeshifter that Yang had been waiting for, his weapon out in clawed gauntlet mode.

Bolt grinned as he looked at his friend, shifting his weapon back to its staff form and sliding it into its sheath. "Yang!"

"Hey there, B.B.!" she greeted as she walked toward him. Bolt opened his arms, expecting a hug from the blonde, but instead she greeted him by punching his arm. She smirked at him while he continued to smile as he held his shoulder in slight pain, though a little disappointed, at least until she did hug him.

Once they broke off the hug, Yang spoke. "So what took you so long?"

"I came as soon as I sensed you were in the forest, but I got attacked by a couple of idiots," Bolt answered. "I took care of them pretty quickly." He shrugged, then put on a questioning expression. "Not that I'm not delighted to see you, but I thought you said you weren't gonna be able to come here anymore because you were going to school."

Yang grinned. "Well, as it turns out, all of the students have to pair up before we can actually start learning things at school. This is actually part of the process. We were launched off a cliff so that we could run into someone else randomly. Whoever we run into first is the person we're partnered up with," she explained.

"So does that mean you haven't found a partner yet?" the blue-haired boy inquired.

"Yeah," Yang said. "Too bad you're not a student at Beacon, or else we'd be partners." She started walking. "Wanna help me look for someone?"

"Sure!" Bolt said in excitement. He wasn't going to pass up an opportunity to spend some time with Yang.

* * *

Back with the white-haired heiress, she defended against a Beowolf's claws, which sent her skidding back a little. She stood up straight and pointed her rapier forward. " _Remember your training, Weiss,_ " she thought to herself. " _Head up, shoulders back, right foot forward._ " She moved her foot forward, then moved it back a bit. " _Not that forward! Slow your breathing, wait for the right time to strike, and…!_ " She took a stance as her sword's dial spun, stopping on red. " _ **... now!**_ " Weiss launched herself toward one of the Beowolves, ready to strike.

Unfortunately, before she could reach it, Ruby reappeared with her Semblance and attacked the Grimm that Weiss had been targeting with her scythe. "Gotcha!"

Weiss' eyes widened and she let out a yelp before redirecting her attack. Her sword released a blast of fire that instead hit a tree and set it ablaze.

Ruby heard Weiss' yell and turned to her, but she was forced to face the wolf again when it growled. She raised her weapon and barely managed to block a swipe from the Beowolf she attacked. However, the swipe knocked her into her partner. "Hey, watch it!"

"Excuse me, you attacked out of turn! I could've killed you!" the heiress yelled.

Ruby focused on the Beowolves surrounding the two of them as she muttered, "You'll have to try a lot harder than that…" All around them, the Grimm growled, waiting for one of them to make a move. Ruby took the chance to reload her scythe and prepared to attack when a flaming tree fell close to the two girls.

Weiss grabbed Ruby's wrist. "We have to go!" she shouted. The two girls fled as the clearing they were in caught fire, leaving behind the howling Beowolves, which were forced to run away from the fire as well.

Once they were a safe distance away from the fire and the smoke, which was still visible from where they were, Weiss stopped to catch her breath. Ruby turned to look at the smoke before turning back to her partner. "What was that?!" she yelled, gesturing back to the forest. "That should have been easy!"

"Well, perhaps if you had exercised even the _slightest_ amount of caution with the placement of your strikes, I wouldn't have set the forest on fire!" Weiss argued.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ruby demanded.

"I'm just surprised someone who talks so much would communicate so little during an encounter!"

Ruby crossed her arms. "Well, I'm sorry you need my help to win a fight. I'm just fine on my own!"

"Well, congratulations on being the strongest child to sneak your way into Beacon. Bravo," the heiress retorted as she began to walk away. The silver-eyed girl yelled out in anger before unfolding Crescent Rose to scythe mode and slicing down a tree. She put her weapon away and followed after her partner as the tree hit the ground, though both girls were oblivious to the giant black feather that floated to the ground behind them.

* * *

Meanwhile, Bolt and Yang were still walking through the forest in search of a partner for Yang. Since Bolt was here, he would be able to sense anyone when they entered his range, though no one had yet. As they walked, the two chatted, just like they did whenever Yang came to visit Bolt in the forest.

"So you were flung off a cliff?" the shapeshifter inquired.

"Yep," the blonde answered. "The method seemed kinda unorthodox, but it was exhilarating, for me at least. I'm pretty sure I heard a girl screaming in terror."

Bolt laughed a little, then remembered something else he wanted to bring up. "Oh yeah, I just remembered! I'm pretty sure I felt Ruby's aura in this forest before I found you. What's she doing here?"

Yang's eyes widened. "You did? Was she with other people?"

He thought back to when he sensed Ruby's aura. "I think so. I felt a couple of other auras around at the time."

Yang smiled, glad she wasn't alone. "Good. To answer your question, the day after I came to see you, Ruby stopped a heist in Vale and met the headmaster of Beacon. He was so impressed with her skills that he invited her to come to his school two years early!"

Now Bolt's eyes widened. "Really? Is that why I didn't see her when I came to your house two days ago?" He had gone there to hang out with Ruby since Yang had left to get supplies to prepare for Beacon, but the young girl wasn't home, only her father and Zwei. He had said that she went to Vale for the afternoon.

"Yeah, it must have been," Yang said.

Bolt was about to say something but he abruptly stopped walking and began to look around. Yang stopped as well, noticing her friend's strange behavior.

"I feel someone nearby," he explained as he continued searching. The aura was moving around fast, so he was having trouble pinpointing it.

The blonde brawler looked to her right, where she saw some bushes rustling. Thinking the person her friend was searching for was in there, she approached the bushes and peered into them. "Hellooo—Oh." She quickly dove to her left, avoiding a swipe from an Ursa.

The growl snapped the blue-haired boy out of his trance, and he took note of his friend's predicament. "Yang!" he called out in worry. However, he was cut off from going to help her when another Ursa jumped at him, forcing him back.

Yang activated Ember Celica as the first Ursa charged at her. She reeled her fist back and punched it right in the gut, sending it back a few feet. The other Grimm charged at the shapeshifter, but he ducked under its swing while his forearm was covered in his blue aura. He thrust it into the Ursa's gut and unleashed a blast at point-blank range that sent it flying back next to its companion.

Bolt reached for his staff but Yang stopped him. "I'll take care of this," she assured him.

He put his hand down. "Are you sure?" he questioned. He knew she was more than capable of doing this by herself, but he wanted to make sure she wanted to since they always had fun fighting together.

The blonde grinned. "Don't worry, B.B., this won't take long. After all, this is a part of my test."

Bolt smiled back at his friend and nodded before jumping back, landing under a tree and leaving Yang to face the two Ursai.

"So, I don't suppose either of you have seen a little girl wearing a red hood?" she asked casually, like she wasn't about to destroy the Grimm in front of her. The Ursai roared in response. "You could just say no!"

Bolt smirked as he watched her speak. It was just like her to act so carefree when fighting Grimm, another thing that he liked about her.

One of the Ursa ran forward and swung its claws, but Yang easily avoided the swipes by flipping back. Once she was on her feet, she laughed and started taunting them. "Geez, you two couldn't even hit the broad side of a ba—" She trailed off when she noticed something float down in front of her face.

Bolt was confused at her sudden pause. He looked closely and his eyes grew wide with horror when he spotted what Yang had seen: a single lock of her golden hair. " _Oh, snap!_ " he thought. Without a moment to delay, he leaped into the tree he was standing under, watching what was about to come from a branch high above the ground.

"You…" The blonde's lilac eyes closed, and when they opened again, they were red. Her voice was dripping with fury, which bewildered the two beasts. "You monsters!" Fire exploded from her as she entered the final stage of her Semblance. With a cry of rage, she launched herself toward the Ursa that cut off the strand and attacked it with a flurry of punches. Her final blow sent the Grimm flying through several trees that snapped under its weight. It hit the ground, dead from the blonde brawler's barrage of blows.

Bolt had to admit, he felt slight pity for the monster.

The other bear rushed toward her but stopped short when Yang glared at it. "What, you want some, too?!" she yelled. The Ursa stood on its hind legs and roared… then the sound of a blade piercing flesh was heard and the beast fell over, dead. Standing behind it was Blake, who pulled her weapon out of the dead Grimm's back.

" _That's the person I sensed!_ " Bolt thought.

The black-haired girl put her weapon away before smiling at her official partner. Yang stared back before finally saying, "I could've taken him."

Bolt dropped out of the tree, surprising the newcomer. "Well, that was entertaining to watch," he commented to Yang.

Yang smirked at him. "Liked what you saw?"

The blue-haired boy just smiled and nodded in response, then turned to Blake, who was staring at him with her normal expression on her face, but with a hint of curiosity. "Who are you?"

"My name's Bolt Burns!"

"I don't remember seeing you at Beacon," Blake said. She was sure she would have seen someone with blue hair like him.

"That's because I'm not a student there," Bolt explained.

"If you're not a student, then why are you in this forest?" Blake inquired.

An uncomfortable look crossed the shapeshifter's face. "It's… a long story," he replied, his tone suggesting that she drop the matter. Thankfully, she did so, and Bolt turned back to Yang. "So now that you have a partner, what are you supposed to do?"

"Now, we're supposed to head to a temple and pick a relic that's there," Yang answered. "I think he said to go north."

"Hmmm…" Bolt pondered on that for a few minutes, then his eyes lit up. "Oh, I know where that is! Follow me!" He started to walk away.

Yang did so without hesitation, while Blake was slightly more reluctant since she just met him. In the end, she followed after her partner and the blue-haired boy.

* * *

Back on top of the cliff, Professor Ozpin was standing at the edge, staring at his tablet. Glynda walked up behind him. "The last pair of people have joined up, sir," she informed him, tapping on the screen to show the aftermath of Ren's battle against the King Taijitu. His orange-haired companion hung upside down from a tree and poked his nose. "Nora Valkyrie and Lie Ren. Poor boy… I can't possibly imagine those two getting along. Still, he's probably better off than Miss Nikos." She switched to some footage of Pyrrha and Jaune moving through the forest.

"Mmmm…" was all the headmaster said.

"I don't care what his transcripts say. That Jaune fellow is not ready for this level of combat." She switched to yet another video, this one being the most baffling to her. In it, Yang and Blake were following a blue-haired boy she had never seen before. "And there seems to be another person in the forest who isn't a part of this school. Where did he come from?"

If Glynda were watching, she would've noticed a small smile cross Ozpin's face for a second. "I'm sure it's nothing to worry about. He doesn't seem to mean any harm," he responded.

"Well, he does appear to be leading them to the temple." Glynda turned her tablet off and began to walk away. "At their current pace, they should reach it in a few minutes." She stopped walking and glanced back at the headmaster. "By the way, what did you use as relics this year?" She turned to face him fully when he didn't answer. "Professor Ozpin?"

However, Ozpin was no longer paying attention. He was currently focusing on a video that showed Weiss and Ruby's progress in the forest, and it didn't look good.

* * *

With the aforementioned girls, Ruby was sitting on the ground, picking up leaves and dropping them, while the heiress was treading back and forth, trying to figure out which way to go.

"It's gotta be this way." She began to walk one way, then changed directions. "I mean… this way! It's _definitely_ this way!" Finally, she came to a stop in front of her partner. "Alright, it's official. We've passed it."

Finally fed up, the younger girl stood and faced her partner. "Why can't you just admit that you have no idea where we're going?" she asked.

"Because I know _exactly_ where we're going." Ruby crossed her arms. "We're going… to… the forest temple!"

The silver-eyed girl rolled her eyes. "I bet Bolt would know which way to go," she muttered.

"And who is this Bolt person you speak of?" Weiss questioned, crossing her arms. "Is he one of your childish friends?"

"For your information, Bolt's the same age as you!" Ruby shouted indignantly. "He lives in this forest, though he's probably with Yang right now, which might be why I haven't seen him."

The white-haired girl just rolled her eyes. "So he's an imaginary person that you made up."

"Bolt isn't imaginary!" the younger girl yelled heatedly. "He's very much real! And I know that he would know which way to go, unlike you!"

"Well, it's not like you know which way to go, either!" Weiss snapped.

"At least I'm not pretending like I know everything!" Ruby shot back.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means you're a big, stupid jerk and I hate you!"

Weiss sighed in annoyance as she began to walk off. "Just keep moving!"

"Oh, just keep moving! Hurry up! Waaah! Watch where you're going!" Ruby said, imitating Weiss before asking, "Why are you so bossy?"

"I'm not bossy!" the heiress yelled, storming over to the younger girl. "Don't say things like that!"

"Stop treating me like a kid!"

"Stop acting like a kid!"

"Well, you stop acting like you're perfect!"

"I'm not perfect!" Weiss yelled. "Not yet. But I'm still leagues better than you." She started walking away again.

"You don't even know me…" Ruby said glumly.

* * *

Meanwhile, Bolt had finally made it to his destination with the two girls in tow. The temple, which was made of stone, was broken down, but the platforms were still intact and had black and gold objects resting on top.

Bolt scratched the side of his head. "Huh. Last time I was here, there weren't any objects on the platforms."

"They're probably the relics we were sent to collect," Yang spoke. The three of them walked into the temple to take a closer look at the items.

"Chess pieces?" Blake asked inquisitively, moving closer to examine a black king.

"Some of them are missing," the blonde pointed out. "Looks like we weren't the first ones here."

"Well, I guess we should pick one," Blake said.

* * *

Elsewhere in the forest, Jaune and Pyrrha were standing in front of a cave. There were drawings on the sides, mostly of stick figures with weapons surrounding what looked like a scorpion, and close to the top of the cave was a large X. "Do you really think this is it?" the redhead asked her partner.

"It's got to be," Jaune insisted. "Look." He pointed at the X. "X marks the spot, right?" He went into the cave, prompting the scarlet-haired warrior to follow after him.

A few minutes later, the two were trekking through the cave. Jaune was holding a burning torch so that they could see inside. "I'm not sure this is it," Pyrrha commented as they walked.

Jaune sighed. "Pyrrha, I made the torch. Could you at least humor me for a few more feet?"

Out of nowhere, the blond tripped, sending the torch flying into a puddle and extinguishing its flame. The cave was bathed in darkness once more.

As Jaune got to his feet, Pyrrha looked around. "Do you… feel that?" she inquired.

"Soul-crushing regret?"

"No, it's… warm," she corrected him.

* * *

At the temple, the blonde brawler was inspecting a golden knight before she picked it up. "How about a cute little pony?" she called to her partner.

"Sure," Blake replied with a roll of her eyes and a smile. The two of them, along with Bolt, met up in the center of the temple.

"That wasn't too hard!" Yang remarked.

"Well, you did have a guide who knows his way around the forest," Bolt told her, making her smile at him thankfully. "That aside, this place actually isn't too hard to find."

* * *

Inside the cave, Jaune and Pyrrha kept moving forward until they saw a bright light up ahead. They reached the golden glowing object, its light illuminating their faces.

"That's the relic!" Jaune exclaimed. He reached out to grab it, only for it to jerk away from his hand at the last second. "Hey! Bad relic!" He tried to get it again, but it moved away again. Finally, he jumped forward and managed to hold onto the object with both hands when it suddenly lifted him off the ground. "Gotcha!"

"Jaune?" Pyrrha said worriedly.

The item in Jaune's hands lowered itself slightly before red started to illuminate the space in front of Jaune, and the boy found himself face to face with a Death Stalker.

His scream of terror echoed throughout the forest.

* * *

The two girls and Bolt all heard a scream fill the air from the temple. "Did you guys hear that? Some girl is in trouble!" Yang exclaimed. "What should we do?"

* * *

Pyrrha ran out of the cave, and shortly after, she was followed by a Death Stalker. Its claws were covered in grass and Jaune was still hanging from its stinger, screaming.

"Help! Pyrrha! This is not the relic! It's not!" he cried, though that was pretty obvious at this point. "Do something!"

"Jaune! Whatever you do, don't let—" Before she could finish her sentence, the Grimm swung its tail one last time, sending the blond flying far into the forest. "—go." The redhead turned back to the scorpion Grimm, which was snapping its claws at her and growling. She smiled nervously and pulled out her javelin before zipping away.

* * *

"Ruby!" The aforementioned girl opened her eyes at the sound of her name being called. "This is all your fault!" Weiss shouted at her so that she could be heard over the howling winds.

How did this all happen? Well, the two girls had been walking through the forest, still looking for the temple, when a giant Nevermore soared above their heads. Ruby came up with the bright idea to grab onto its talons as it flew so that they could search from the air, and for some unfathomable reason, Weiss had agreed to it. Now she was regretting it.

"We're okay! Stop worrying!" Ruby called back.

"Oh, I am SO far beyond worrying!"

"… In a good way?"

"In a bad way! In a very bad way!"

"Well, why don't we just jump?!" the younger girl suggested.

"What are you, insane?!" The heiress received no answer as Ruby had followed through with her idea. "Oh, you insufferable, little red—!"

* * *

Back at the temple, Bolt was answering Yang's inquiry. "Well, the first thing we should do is—huh?" He stopped mid-sentence when he felt something off. Ruby's aura was fast approaching, which wouldn't seem out of the ordinary if not for the direction it was coming from. He looked up and was met with a surprise.

"Well, Bolt? What do we do?" the blonde asked, turning to face him. His only response was to point upward. Yang looked to where he was pointing and saw her sister falling out of the sky.

"Heads uuuuuuuup!" she screamed as she fell.

The blue-haired boy snapped out of his daze and rushed to stand under her. "I've got you, Ruby!" he proclaimed. However, before he could catch her, another fast-moving object crashed into her from a different angle, sending the two of them into a tree. Bolt blinked, not expecting that. "Er… I guess that works."

Ruby sat in the tree, dazed by the rough landing. "What was that?" she asked, dizzy. She shook her head to clear it and found the culprit dangling upside-down in front of her.

"Hey, Ruby…" Jaune said weakly.

"Did your sister just fall from the sky?" Blake questioned.

"I…"

Before she could answer, their attention was drawn to the sound of growling and trees falling. The three spotted an Ursa swinging its arms around until it was killed from behind by a pink blast. It flopped onto its stomach, and Nora, who had been riding it, fell off its back. She got up and groaned sadly. "Awww… It's broken." She ran onto its neck and began inspecting the dead beast as her black-haired companion ran up from behind, panting from exhaustion.

"Nora! Please… don't ever do that again," he said tiredly as he looked up, only to find that the orange-haired girl was nowhere in sight. He started looking around frantically, trying to locate her.

Said girl was now in the temple, staring intently at a golden rook. She picked it, singing to herself as she posed with the chess piece. "I'm queen of the castle! I'm queen of the castle!"

"Nora!" Ren shouted, making her freeze in place before she giggled.

"Coming, Ren!" she called back, sliding the rook off her head and into her hand and skipping away as the other three people just watched on.

"Did that girl just ride in on an Ursa?" the black-haired girl questioned.

"I…"

Once again, Yang was cut off by the sound of trees falling accompanied by roaring. Another Grimm showed up, this one being the Grimm that flung Jaune across the forest. The sight of it caused Bolt to freeze up in shock. The Death Stalker was still chasing Pyrrha, and the redhead was barely avoiding its claws. "Jaune!" she called as she ran.

"Pyrrha!" he responded. Ruby stood up on the branch and ran to the ground. "Ruby!"

The silver-eyed girl rolled onto her feet once she landed on the ground. "Ruby!" She looked to see who called her name and was delighted to find that it was her sister, with her blue-haired friend standing next to her.

"Yang! Bolt!" She raised her arms up, about to hug them, when Nora jumped in between them, saying her own name. Bolt didn't notice as he was still staring at the Death Stalker in shock.

Pyrrha continued to run away from the scorpion Grimm chasing her. "Did she just run all the way here with a Death Stalker on her tail?" Blake inquired.

Finally having had enough, Yang exploded. "I can't take it anymore! Could everyone just chill out for two seconds before something crazy happens again?!"

Everyone stayed quiet after her outburst; even Bolt snapped out of his trance when she yelled. Two seconds later, Ruby tapped her sister's arm. "Um, Yang?" She pointed upward, and everyone looked in that direction, where they saw Weiss holding onto the talon of a giant Nevermore. Upon seeing this Grimm too, Bolt's shock returned.

" _These particular Grimm… I haven't seen them for seven years…_ " he thought grimly.

"How could you leave me?!" the heiress cried to her partner.

"I said jump," Ruby replied.

"She's going to fall," Blake remarked.

"She'll be fine," Ruby assured them.

"She's falling," Ren pointed out.

Meanwhile, Jaune had finally managed to get himself right side-up in the tree, and he grinned when he saw the white-haired girl falling through the sky. He leaped off the branch with his arms outstretched and time seemed to slow down as he caught the falling girl with a charming smile. "Just dropping in?" he said. Weiss looked down and Jaune followed her gaze before remembering where they were. "Oh, no." He and Weiss plummeted to the ground.

The sound of their screaming snapped the shapeshifter out of his daze, and he saw the two students falling to the ground. Acting quickly, he rushed underneath them and caught the falling Jaune before he could hit the ground on his face. He placed him on his feet before catching the heiress and putting her on her feet as well. "There you go," he said.

Weiss dusted herself off and turned to her savior. Her eyes narrowed when she didn't recognize him as one of the students from the school. "Who are you? You don't look like a student from Beacon, so why are you in the forest?" she questioned him.

Bolt was caught off guard slightly at the sudden questions, but he answered them. "I'm Bolt. I sort of… live in this forest."

The white-haired girl's eyes narrowed further. "Are you just a part of my childish partner's charade?"

Bolt blinked in confusion and tilted his head. "What's a charade?" he inquired, as it was a word he'd never heard before. Weiss just rolled her eyes and walked off, making him pout. "A thank you would have been nice."

"Y-Yeah, thanks for the help." The blue-haired boy turned to the blond as he stammered his thanks. He smiled appreciatively.

His own blonde friend came to stand next to him as he headed back to the temple to regroup with the other students. "Don't mind the Ice Queen. She generally acts that way to pretty much everyone," she told him, cheering him up some more before he focused on the Grimm still chasing the redhead. Finally, it swung its claws and managed to hit her, sending her flying in front of them. "Well, the gang's all here. Now we can die together!"

"Not if I can help it!" Ruby exclaimed. To everyone's collective shock, she ran toward the Death Stalker with a battle cry.

"Ruby, stop!" Bolt cried.

As the girl charged the scorpion Grimm, she pulled out Crescent Rose and fired a round to boost her speed. Unfortunately, the Death Stalker was unfazed by her charge and swiped its claws, sending her back.

The young girl got up slowly. "D-Don't worry! Totally fine!" she called to the others. She faced the monster again and fired a single round at its armored head, but it didn't even scratch it. Ruby ran the opposite direction, folding up her scythe and putting it away as the Death Stalker began chasing her.

"Ruby!" Yang and Bolt shouted, running toward her.

Ruby headed for them, but the Nevermore, still flying above, reared its wings back and fired a flurry of feathers at the retreating girl. One of them pinned Ruby's cloak to the ground, yet the rain of feathers didn't stop there. It continued on toward the two people running to the silver-eyed girl.

The shapeshifter's eyes narrowed as he eyed the oncoming feathers. " _I will not let this be like last time!_ " he thought resolutely. He remembered how he lost his parents to these very Grimm, and he wasn't about to let it happen to someone he cared about again. As he ran, a blue aura started to spread throughout his body, surprising the onlookers. Then it glowed brilliantly, forcing them to cover their eyes. When everyone looked again, they were all stunned to see a small, blue dog-like creature in his place. Of course, Yang was the only one unmoved by his transformation.

"What the heck?!" Jaune exclaimed in shock.

"What is that?!" Weiss questioned.

Even Ren and Blake couldn't keep their normally calm dispositions up as they too were surprised. Pyrrha started as she seemed to recognize the blue color of the Riolu.

The only person who didn't show much surprise was Nora. Instead, she just yelled, "Puppy!" excitedly.

Pyrrha was thinking to herself. " _Could that have been the creature that passed Jaune and I in the forest earlier?_ " she wondered.

The feathers rained down toward the approaching duo. Yang was forced to stop to avoid getting pierced, but Bolt expertly weaved his way around the feathers. He jumped off of one of them to get into the air. While in mid-air, his arm was surrounded in blue aura while his paw was covered with electricity. He reared it back and shouted, " **Thunder Palm!** " He launched his arm forward, and the result was a crackling ball of electricity with a white center.

The attack crashed dead center into the Nevermore, and the giant bird screeched in agony. It started to fly toward the Riolu, who was still in mid-air, when suddenly its entire body was covered in sparks. The Grimm crashed into the ground, unable to move.

Bolt didn't bother looking to see what effect his attack had on the Grimm; instead, he hopped from feather to feather, heading toward Ruby. Everyone else, on the other hand, became even more shocked.

"Did he just speak?!" Jaune shouted. However, no one else seemed to be focused on that.

"Did that thing just use aura?" Weiss questioned, referring to the blue aura that surrounded his forearm.

"And what a strange attack. I've never seen anything like that before. It seems to have incapacitated the Nevermore," Pyrrha observed.

"It must be the creature that Ozpin informed us about," Blake deduced.

"Oooh! Can we keep it, Ren?" Nora asked pleadingly.

"No, Nora. Remember, that's a person," Ren said. Nora pouted in response.

The young girl was still struggling to free her cloak, but she wasn't making any progress. As this was happening, the Death Stalker advanced toward her, its tail raised high. Ruby gazed up in fear once the monster towered over her, and she closed her eyes as it brought its stinger down. She was expecting to feel pain racing through her body, but she was mystified when she heard the sound of someone grunting.

Ruby opened her eyes and stared in shock as she saw that Bolt was now in front of her, his paws holding either side of the scorpion's tail and stopping it before it could pierce either one of them. " **Hurry up and escape, Ruby! I don't know how long I can hold this thing!** " the Riolu said as he strained to hold the stinger back.

"I'm trying!" Ruby responded, continuing to struggle to free herself.

Bolt kept the stinger at bay, holding it inches away from his body. As he strained to stop it, he spotted something on its forehead that once again left him shocked. His eyes grew wide. " **No way…** " He didn't seem to notice that he was losing ground.

"Bolt!" Ruby and Yang screamed in worry. The blonde got up from where she had fallen and started to hurry toward the two when something zipped right past her.

Bolt closed his eyes as he tried to block out the memory that threatened to play out in his head. However, he was starting to slide back. Before he could go any further, though, he noticed that the temperature seemed to have dropped a few degrees. Then he noticed that the Death Stalker's stinger was no longer pushing him back. Bolt opened his eyes and was surprised to see that the stinger was encased in ice. He lowered his paws. " **What…?** "

"You are _so_ childish!" a voice spoke, belonging to the person who saved them.

Ruby stared in awe as the person was the last person she would have expected to save her. "Weiss…?"

"And dim-witted, and hyperactive, and don't even get me started on your fighting style," she went on. "And I suppose I can be a bit… difficult… but if we're going to do this, we're going to have to do this together. So if you quit trying to show off, I'll be… nicer."

"I'm not trying to show off," Ruby said. "I just want you to know I can do this."

"You're fine," the heiress told her. Then she turned to Bolt with a glare. "And as for you…" He tilted his head, wondering what she wanted to say to him. She sighed as her glare softened. "… thank you." Then she walked away, leaving the shapeshifter with a smile on his face.

"Guess she's not all bad," he said to himself.

The younger girl smiled too and let out a sigh of relief. "Normal knees…" she whispered to herself. As Ruby was still stuck, Bolt quickly freed her by using his Iron Tail attack to knock the feather away. Ruby smiled at him thankfully before getting up and peering around the ice to observe the Death Stalker. "Whoa…"

Yang ran up to the two of them and hugged Ruby. "I'm so happy you're okay!" Then she leaned down and hugged the Riolu as well. "You too, Bolt! What happened? You seemed out of it for a minute," she inquired, making Ruby turn to him as everyone else started to walk over to them.

Bolt took comfort from her hug before turning to face the Death Stalker, a frown on his face as he eyed its skull. " **…This is the same one.** "

"Huh?"

" **This is the same Death Stalker… from seven years ago,** " he revealed. " **Look.** " He pointed to its forehead, where they saw a small crack. " **My dad was the one who put that crack there.** "

The two sisters' eyes grew wide. "No way," Yang said, stunned.

Bolt scratched his head, perplexed, while everyone else had reached the three of them. " **The thing is, if it was in the place where we first encountered it, it shouldn't be here right now. It would only come out if someone was to enter the cave, and I specifically left warnings not to go inside.** "

"Uh, what kinds of warnings?" Pyrrha asked inquisitively.

" **I drew pictures of people fighting Death Stalkers and left a big X at the top, which meant keep away. I was… pretty young at the time, but I thought it would get the message across,** " the shapeshifter answered.

Jaune stiffened and laughed nervously, making Bolt zero in on him immediately as he sensed his guilt. "Oh, is that what those meant?" Bolt just stared at him with a deadpanned expression. Before he could say anything, though, they were brought back to reality when they heard the Nevermore caw loudly. The sparks that were running through its body were starting to disappear. With the Death Stalker, it was still trying to free its stinger. Cracks were starting to appear in the ice.

" **The Nevermore is starting to recover from my attack. It won't stay paralyzed for much longer. And the ice won't hold the Death Stalker for long,** " Bolt mused. " **We need to get out of here while we have the chance!** "

"Well, there's no point in dilly-dallying," the white-haired girl spoke. "Our objective is right in front of us."

"She's right," her partner agreed. "Our mission is to grab an artifact and make it back to the cliffs." The two nodded to each other. "There's no point in fighting these things."

"Run and live. That is an idea I can get behind," Jaune said.

Ruby and Jaune approached the relics. Ruby picked up a golden knight, just like the one her sister had taken, while Jaune picked up a golden rook, like the one Nora chose. The two smiled at each other.

Meanwhile, the giant scorpion was making more progress freeing itself. More cracks were appearing in the ice. "It's time we left!" Ren announced.

"Right! Let's go!" Ruby said.

Everyone started to run off, aside from Yang and Bolt. Bolt looked up at the blonde, noticing her smiling at her younger sister. " **What is it?** " he asked.

She continued to smile as she watched Ruby stop briefly before continuing on. "Nothing," she answered, though Bolt had already figured it out. He could sense the pride in her aura. The two got ready to move, but by that time it was too late.

The Death Stalker finally broke free of its bonds with a loud roar. It swung its tail and managed to hit the two of them, knocking them to the ground. It roared again as it stalked toward Yang, its stinger raised high as the monster prepared to pierce her.

Bolt struggled to sit up, and he saw the predicament his friend was in. " **Yang!** " Without thinking, he got to his feet and dashed toward her.

Yang sat up and saw the scorpion Grimm towering over her. There was no time to draw her weapons or to defend herself as it began to bring its stinger down. Her eyes went wide as the stinger met flesh and blood was shed, but not in the way she was expecting.

Ruby had come back when she noticed that her sister and her friend hadn't been behind everyone else. She saw the scene before her and her eyes widened tremendously. "No…"

* * *

 **And bam! I'll end this chapter with a cliffhanger to keep you guys guessing! So next chapter will have the rest of the initiation.**

 **Now, as to why this chapter took so long to complete, I've been EXTREMELY busy. For one, I had to step it up with my online classes, which gave me almost no time to work on my story. I had a hectic week last week with other matters that I won't bore you guys with. To top it off, I came down with malaria pretty recently which, if you guys know what it is, is really, really bad. I'm starting to feel better now and, through it all, I persevered and finished this chapter! I hope you all enjoyed the return of Bolt!**

 **So as you guys can see, I changed some things up, like how those drawings got on the wall of the cave in canon (though that is never actually explained). Did anyone expect me to bring back the exact same monster that killed Bolt's parents? I'm sure I caught some of you by surprise!**

 **To yukicrewger2, you asked about recreating possibly recreating moves. I hope I've satisfied you with the one in this chapter. The Thunder Palm that Bolt used was meant to be a sort of makeshift Electro Ball.**

 **Also, if you guys noticed, I skipped the whole aura thing with Pyrrha and Jaune. I felt it would only make this chapter longer than it needed to be.**

 **Well now, I'm out of things to say, so I'll just wrap things up with my story recommendations:**

 **Escalation by heroman45 – This is a Dragon Ball/Fairy Tail crossover. It's about kid Goku getting sent to the Fairy Tail universe and meeting Erza a few days after her escape from the Tower of Heaven. It's hilarious, so go check it out!**

 **RWBY watches DEATH BATTLE! (Continuation) by Red Dusk 369 – As the title suggests, this story picks up from where the previous author, epicvictory2025, left off!**

 **A Trainer in Remnant by Coral the Leviathan – For anyone who has read The Fairy Contender, this story is an AU for that story, where Nic's sister, Vanessa, gets sent to Remnant instead of ending up in the Fairy Tail universe with everyone else. You guys should definitely read this story!**

 **That's all! Remember to favorite, follow, and review this story! Sparky D., out!**


	9. Initiation, Part 2

**What's up, what's up, readers! Guess who's back with an exciting conclusion to the initiation? This guy, that's who! This chapter, obviously, picks up from where the last chapter leaves off, and I've added a surprise this chapter that many people have been waiting for! Before I can get to that, though, I'll answer the reviews from last chapter:**

 **delta4phoenix: No need to worry, he's not dead. In fact, by the end of this chapter, he'll be feeling better than ever! Also, I read a few chapters of that story, and I will say that it does seem interesting!**

 **yukicrewger2: I know Bolt's attack is just a combination of Thunder Punch and Force Palm, but I tried to make it seem like Electro Ball in appearance. Not to mention, I managed to make your idea work in this chapter!**

 **Terminatis: Thank you! I hope you like this chapter!**

 **Now go ahead and read the awesome second part of the initiation!**

* * *

Chapter 9 – Initiation, Part 2

The two sisters could only stare in horror at the scene before them before both of them yelled, "Bolt!"

Bolt was currently standing in front of Yang, his left paw outstretched in front of him. He had intercepted the Death Stalker's stinger but in a painful manner. The stinger had pierced his paw, making the shapeshifter grit his teeth in pain as his eyes scrunched shut.

Ruby and Yang were frozen in place; they couldn't seem to make their bodies move to help their friend.

The pain that Bolt felt was excruciating, and yet through it all, he managed to smirk weakly, surprising the huntresses. " **Gotcha now…** " he muttered, opening his eyes. Suddenly, his body was surrounded by a blue aura. Three blue orbs circled his body, starting at the paw that was still in the Grimm's stinger and ending at his other paw. He clenched it before rearing his arm back and punching forward. " **Reversal!** " he shouted as his fist met the scorpion Grimm's skull with intense force. His attack was so powerful that it made the crack on its forehead a bit larger before the Death Stalker was thrown back.

Bolt's smirk grew slightly wider, but it quickly faded as he dropped to his knees, clutching his arm in pain. This finally spurred the sisters into action as Yang rushed forward to help him while Ruby dashed over to him with her Semblance, both of them worriedly calling his name.

"Bolt! Are you okay?" the younger girl asked anxiously.

The Riolu was breathing heavily. He could feel the effects of the Death Stalker working through his body. " **… No,** " he answered, sitting down while still holding his bleeding arm. " **I think… I've been poisoned. I'm pretty sure… I should be okay—** "

"I can't believe you! Why would you do something like that, Bolt?!" the blonde yelled, cutting him off. Tears were forming at the corner of her eyes as she looked at her pain-ridden friend.

He turned to face her. " **There** **was… no time… to do… anything else. I wasn't… going to… let anything… happen… to someone else… I care about. Especially you… Yang.** "

Yang's eyes widened. "What?"

As Bolt continued to gaze at her, his mind was brought back to a conversation he had a couple of days ago.

* * *

 _Flashback—_

 _It was a pleasant afternoon, and Bolt was headed to Yang's house on Patch. Even though he knew she wouldn't be there, he still wanted to hang out with her younger sister. Once he reached the house, he knocked on the door._

 _"Hold on!" he heard Taiyang shout. Seconds later, the sound of footsteps was heard and the door opened to show Taiyang. He looked pleased to see the blue-haired boy. "Bolt! Good to see you again! Come on in!"_

 _Bolt stepped in, looking around the house. Zwei came running toward him when the dog saw who it was and jumped into his arms. Bolt laughed as he held the corgi. "It's nice to see both of you!" he said. He turned his head left and right but felt no trace of the silver-eyed girl's aura in the house. "Where's Ruby?" he inquired._

 _"Oh, she went out earlier," Taiyang answered. "She said something about a new weapons magazine at a Dust store she likes to go to."_

 _The shapeshifter blinked in surprise. "Oh." He was hoping they could hang out together since Yang wouldn't be around. Unlike most people, he found Ruby's habit of rambling on about weapons amusing._

 _"But hey, I'm glad you're here!" the father spoke. "I actually wanted to talk to you. Have a seat."_

 _Bolt complied, wondering what it was he wanted to talk about. Taiyang sat down and faced him before he began to speak._

 _"So, I've noticed you and my daughter seem to be pretty close," he commented._

 _Bolt tilted his head questioningly. "Which daughter?"_

 _"I'm talking about Yang," he answered._

 _"Well, yeah, I guess so."_

 _"What do you think of her?"_

 _The shapeshifter was perplexed at the sudden question but answered it nonetheless. "Well, I think Yang's really funny, kind, and strong. She's… also very pretty." He blushed as he said the last one._

 _The blond smiled. "So you like her?"_

 _Bolt blinked. "Yeah, I like her. I'm not sure where you're going with this."_

 _"Hmmm…" The father tried to think of a good way to explain what he meant, and finally, something came to mind. "Okay, I've got it! You must have seen how Sparky and Amy acted around each other, right? Would you say you like Yang the same way they felt about each other?"_

 _His inquiry made Bolt think. He had seen how his parents felt about each other; he could tell they really loved each other. But did he feel that way about his blonde friend? "Well, I think she's really cool, and I really like spending time with her. I was pretty sad to learn that I wouldn't be able to hang out with her anymore since she's heading to Beacon. Maybe I do feel that way…" he said uncertainly. After all, he'd never felt anything like this before._

 _"You don't have to figure it out right now," Taiyang assured him. "You can take some time to think about this. I just noticed that Yang seemed a bit down about not being able to spend time with you anymore."_

 _"Really?" the blue-haired boy inquired._

 _"Yeah," Taiyang replied with a smile. "If you two did get together, then I think I would be okay with it. You're a nice kid, and your parents were good people." Then his smile disappeared as he glared at the shapeshifter. "But if you ever hurt her, I_ will _hunt you down."_

 _Bolt sweatdropped nervously. "I'll, uh, keep that in mind."_

 _Flashback end_

* * *

" **I care… about you… a lot more… than you think,** " Bolt told Yang. " **I wasn't going… to let you… get hurt… like my parents… seven years ago.** "

Tears were trickling down the blonde's cheeks. She grabbed the Riolu and pulled him into a tight embrace, being careful not to agitate his arm injury. He was caught surprised at first but returned the hug. "Thank you," she whispered gratefully. Then she did something that she never did before: she kissed him on the cheek.

Bolt's cheeks grew warm as she placed him on the ground. Despite the pain he was in, he managed to smile brightly at her. " **No… problem,** " he said. Unbeknownst to the three of them, the rest of the group had come back, noticing that they were three people short. They arrived in time to witness something unexpected.

As Bolt and Yang smiled at each other, the former felt something strange happening to his body, and it wasn't the poison. It felt… nice. He became astounded, as did everyone else, when his body suddenly started to glow with a bright white light.

"Bolt! What's going on?" Ruby asked.

" **I'm… not sure,** " he answered honestly. He felt like his body was changing but he didn't understand. Everyone watching, however, saw the changes happening. The Riolu grew a foot taller, his ears and tail grew longer, and a metal spike popped out of the back of each of his paws, replacing the white bumps. A third metal spike grew on his chest while another pair of the black appendages on his head grew behind the first pair and his yellow collar disappeared. When the light faded, the eight students noted that Bolt's fur color had gotten darker and the fur on his chest and torso had become cream-colored.

"Bolt, you… changed," Ruby stated.

" **I have?** " he said before noticing that his voice had gotten a bit deeper as well. He observed his paws and saw the new color and the spikes. " **Whoa…** "

"What was that?" Yang wondered aloud.

Bolt's eyes widened as he abruptly remembered the conversation he'd had with Qrow a month ago. " **Wait! Do you think this could be that evolution thing your uncle was talking about?** "

"You mean… you evolved?" Ruby inquired in surprise.

" **That's the only thing I can think of,** " the shapeshifter mused. " **If so, that would mean that I'm now a Lucario…** " Then he realized something else: his arm injury had been healed, probably during the evolution process. And that wasn't all. " **Wait a minute! I don't feel the poison anymore! It's like I've been cured or something!** "

"Really?!" Yang shouted, stunned.

"You were poisoned?" The sudden arrival of the other six students caught the three of them off guard; even Bolt, who had been distracted by other things. The question had come from the scarlet-haired warrior, since only Ruby and Yang had seen what happened.

The newly-evolved Lucario turned to her. " **I was, but now I'm fine. In fact, I feel better than ever!** " he answered cheerfully.

Pyrrha probably would've responded to his reply, but a roar from the Death Stalker reminded them that they were still potentially in danger. It seemed to have recovered from the blow that Bolt had given it.

Bolt looked over at it. " **Oh, snap. It looks like we're not out of the woods yet,** " he joked, yet only Yang smiled at his pun. " **You guys have a test to finish. I'll hold it off and meet up with you later.** "

"Are you sure you're well enough to fight, Bolt?" Yang asked with concern.

" **As I said, I feel better than ever!** " Bolt told her, determined.

The blonde decided to trust his judgment. "Then let's get going, everyone!"

"Yeah! We need to get to the cliffs!" Ruby agreed. With that, the eight students ran off while Bolt stared down the scorpion Grimm.

" **Alright, let's do this, bug,** " he said. " **And this time, I'm ready for you!** " He charged at the Grimm, reaching it in no time. The Death Stalker tried to hit him with its claw but the newly-evolved Lucario easily ducked under its attack. It swung its claws a few more times but Bolt was too fast for it.

" _It seems I've gotten faster,_ " the shapeshifter thought to himself. " _Let's see how much stronger I've become!_ " He clenched his fist and threw it forward, meeting the Death Stalker's forehead. The Grimm stumbled back a few steps, though not taking damage thanks to all of its armor, as Bolt watched in awe. " _Whoa, and that was just a regular punch._ "

The Death Stalker roared in anger before bringing its stinger down to try and pierce Bolt. However, Bolt easily sidestepped the attempt, causing the stinger to get stuck in the ground. As the monster struggled to pull it out, the two spikes on Bolt's paws glowed before extending into a set of three claws each. " _Whoa. It's just like my clawed gauntlets,_ " he thought as he observed his new attack. " _I believe Qrow said this was Metal Claw. Let's see what I can do!_ " He rushed forward and slashed the Grimm multiple times, making it screech in pain as it finally managed to free itself.

As Bolt jumped back to gain some distance, a red aura flashed around his body briefly before vanishing. " _Huh? Strange… I feel a bit stronger all of a sudden. Could that be an additional effect to that attack?_ " he pondered. He activated his Metal Claw again and slashed the Grimm's skull, leaving faint claw marks but not doing too much damage. " _Nothing happened, so I guess it's not all the time,_ " Bolt figured. As he prepared to attack the scorpion Grimm again, a loud caw got his attention.

The shapeshifter looked left toward the Nevermore and saw that the paralysis had fully worn off. It was now flying free in the air and glaring down at the one who left it stiff in the first place. It fired its feathers toward the Lucario, only for Bolt to swiftly jump out of the path.

As he landed on his feet, he put his paws together briefly before separating them. To his surprise, a glowing blue bone appeared in his paw. " _A bone?_ " he wondered. " _This must be my new Bone Rush attack!_ " His musings were cut short when the Nevermore fired another flurry of feathers at the shapeshifter. This time, Bolt stood his ground and spun his bone in place, deflecting the feathers with ease as he would do with his staff.

Once he had stopped, he was forced to quickly jump away when the Death Stalker tried to attack him while he was focused on the giant bird. He glowered at the scorpion Grimm as it attempted to stab him again but he jumped high into the air above it to avoid its stinger. While still in midair, his fist shone red and he used his Bullet Punch from above, coming down on the monster's skull with the force of a meteor.

The blow managed to disorient the Death Stalker for a few seconds, which was more than enough time for Bolt to put both of his now-glowing light blue paws together and slam them down on the monster's head. The double Ice Punch froze the front half of its body to the ground, but Bolt knew it wouldn't stay that way for long. He turned his attention to the Nevermore.

The giant bird flew down toward him, so in response, blue aura surrounded his arm while electricity crackled around his paw, which was glowing yellow. He used his Thunder Palm attack, once again hitting the giant bird and making it screech in agony. The Nevermore hit the ground hard.

" _That should do it. I better catch up to Yang and the others,_ " Bolt thought. With that, he sped away.

Unknown to him, his Thunder Palm didn't have the same paralyzing effect it had on the Nevermore the first time. It only took a few seconds to get back up and caw in rage. It smashed the ice imprisoning the Death Stalker, freeing the scorpion Grimm. With both Grimm on their feet, so to speak, they began following after the shapeshifter.

* * *

"Do you really think that Bolt guy can hold them off?" Jaune asked inquisitively as he and his fellow students ran toward the cliffs. They were almost to their destination.

"Of course he can!" Yang shouted back. "He's incredibly strong and just as tough as me! He'll hold them off, no doubt!"

" **Thanks for believing in me!** " Bolt said, appearing near the group as he ran along with them toward the cliffs.

"Bolt! You're back!" Ruby cheered.

" **Yep! I managed to slow down the Grimm. We shouldn't be seeing them for some time.** " Of course, right after he said that, everyone heard the Nevermore cry out as it flew above their heads.

"You were saying?" Weiss shot the shapeshifter a deadpanned look. He sweatdropped in response.

The nine of them ran out of the forest and into another series of abandoned stone structures. As the Nevermore flew above, the group split up and hid: Bolt with Ruby and Yang, Blake with Weiss, Ren with Nora, and Jaune with Pyrrha. Since it could no longer find its target, the giant bird perched itself on a column that overlooked the whole place, letting out a caw.

"Well, that's just great," Yang commented sarcastically.

From behind the group, trees were knocked down as the Death Stalker made its appearance, roaring loudly.

" **Hmmm, that thing recovered from being frozen a lot sooner than I had expected,** " Bolt remarked.

"Aw man, run!" Jaune cried as everyone abandoned their hiding spots and started running for the stone bridge. This, of course, attracted the Nevermore's attention, and it rose into the air.

"Nora! Distract it!" Ren instructed his partner. The orange-haired girl complied, fearlessly rushing out into the open and into the Nevermore's line of sight. Bolt joined her, and as the Grimm fired its feathery projectiles at the two, the Lucario quickly made another Bone Rush and deflected the feathers.

Nora took cover behind him and pulled out her weapon, a grenade launcher. She fired a few shots that burst into pink electricity, some of which made contact with the Nevermore, making it fly away temporarily.

They were so focused on the Nevermore that they didn't notice the Death Stalker creeping up behind them until Blake and Ren slashed at it with their respective weapons. Weiss dropped down and grabbed Nora before creating a Glyph to jump away to safety while Bolt followed.

As they all ran, Pyrrha noticed that the Death Stalker was now chasing Blake and Ren. "Go, go!" she shouted, stopping to take shots at the scorpion Grimm with her rifle to slow it down. Ren stopped too, shooting the monster with his StormFlower guns. Once Blake had reached them, they resumed their running.

However, nobody saw the Nevermore coming in from the side until it was too late. The giant bird smashed into the bridge before everyone could cross it, leaving Blake, Ren, and Pyrrha on the other side with the Death Stalker.

As Ruby switched her scythe to sniper rifle mode and began to shoot at the Nevermore and Bolt did the same by using Force Palm, Jaune stood up and gazed over at the three teens fighting the Death Stalker. "Man, we've gotta get over there! They need help!" he said urgently.

"Let's do it!" Nora agreed, standing next to him.

"Yeah, but, uh… I can't make that jump," the blond said, looking down into the abyss ahead of them.

Luckily, or unluckily for him, the orange-haired girl had a solution, if the wicked smile on her face was anything to go on. She shoved the armor-wearing boy back before changing her grenade launcher into a hammer. She jumped into the air with her hammer raised high.

Seeing what she was about to do, Jaune screamed, "No, wait!" It was to no avail as Nora slammed her hammer on the edge of the bridge, catapulting him to the other side as he continued to scream.

She followed up by getting on her hammer and firing a grenade, the explosion launching her across the gap. She flew over the teens and slammed her hammer on the Death Stalker's head. "Smash!" As the stinger came down, she quickly fired another round to push herself backward and avoid the stinger. However, the force sent her crashing into Blake, who was accidentally knocked off the edge as a result.

The black-haired girl spotted the Nevermore flying above and threw her whip at a stone wall, anchoring the gun's blade into it. With that, she swung under and around before using her Semblance to reach the giant bird's elevation and began slashing its face with her sword. Using her Semblance again, Blake jumped over its head and ran down its back, slashing away at it, before jumping off and landing on a broken wall where Ruby, Bolt, Weiss, and Yang were all standing. "It's tougher than it looks!" she said.

"Then let's hit it with everything we've got!" Yang shouted, preparing her gauntlets.

As the Nevermore circled back around, the four girls readied their weapons. Ruby and Blake fired bullets from their respective guns, Yang fired her shotgun shells, and Weiss used the Ice Dust in her sword to blast some freezing shots. Blue aura surrounded Bolt's arms as he used Force Palm and fired white blasts at the giant bird.

However, the Nevermore either evaded the attacks thrown at it or took them without a scratch. The Grimm rammed into the platform they were standing on, sending stone flying everywhere. The five of them swiftly began jumping from stone to stone; Weiss used her Glyphs to help her get higher while Ruby and Yang used the recoil from their weapons. Once they had all made it to higher ground, they all looked at the Nevermore.

"None of this is working!" the heiress spoke.

Ruby stared at the Nevermore as it soared through the sky, then turned to the Lucario. "Bolt, do you think you can distract it?"

" **Sure thing!** " he replied, immediately jumping into action. He ran over to a broken column and jumped, scaling the high column until he was at the top. He began using Force Palm again, though the Nevermore was evasive in the air.

"What's the plan?" Yang asked.

"Well, let's see…" Ruby started to think. "The Nevermore's tough, but it has to have a weak point somewhere. If we could find it, maybe we could attack it there," she suggested.

"Yeah, but where could that point be? We've pretty much hit it everywhere," Blake said.

The silver-eyed girl observed the giant bird either dodge the shapeshifter's attacks or tank them. "Everywhere but…" Her eyes widened. "Inside! I've got an idea!"

Meanwhile, the other four students were now fighting the Death Stalker. The Grimm pulled its stinger out of the ground from its failed attempt to stab Nora, cracking up the bridge a little.

"We need to move!" Jaune shouted, and the four teens charged at the monster. It raised a claw and tried to hit the person closest to it, which was Pyrrha, but the redhead deflected it with her shield. She slashed the Death Stalker with her spear, making it recoil. It tried to hit her with its other claw but that was blocked by Jaune's shield, allowing Pyrrha to hit it again.

While the two of them fought it up close, Ren fired at it from a distance with his guns. When the giant scorpion tried to pierce him, he avoided its stinger and grabbed onto it, letting it carry him into the air. The black-haired boy shot at the space between the base of the tail and the stinger.

With the three of them occupying the Death Stalker at close range, Nora kept her distance, changing her weapon back to its grenade launcher mode. She fired a couple of grenades as the monster repelled the two teens attacking it on the ground. With it distracted, Pyrrha hurled her javelin into one of its many eyes, making it shriek in pain and unintentionally throw Ren off of its tail.

"Ren!" Nora called worriedly.

The black-haired teen was sent flying into a stone wall and hit the ground hard. As Jaune struggled to his feet, he took notice of the Death Stalker's stinger limply dangling above its skull. Glancing down at its cracked forehead, he came up with a plan. "Pyrrha!" he called.

She instantly saw what he wanted her to do. "Done!" She threw her shield like a discus, severing the stinger. It plunged down into the crack that Bolt had made bigger, causing the Grimm to roar in agony. Pyrrha's shield rebounded off of a pillar and flew back to her arm.

"Nora, nail it!" Jaune instructed.

"Heads up!" the girl called, jumping onto Pyrrha's shield. Nora fired her hammer at the same time the scarlet-haired warrior jumped, giving Nora a boost and sending her even higher into the air. The orange-haired girl smiled as she soared through the air.

Once she reached the peak of her jump, she fired a grenade to increase the speed of her descent. She twirled around to gain momentum until she slammed her hammer into the stinger, driving it deeper into the Death Stalker's head and crushing the bridge beneath it. Jaune and Pyrrha were sent flying over it, with the latter retrieving her spear as she passed. Nora twisted her body and fired again, landing near her friends while the Death Stalker fell into the abyss. Jaune landed on his back, Nora landed on her bottom, and Pyrrha landed in a position while Ren walked over to them and collapsed.

With their battle over, the three teens that were still conscious looked over at the Nevermore, which was still evading blasts from the shapeshifter. As Bolt continued to fire at the giant bird, he heard Ruby call out to him. "Bolt!" she said, making him turn to her. "Try to get its attention!"

He nodded and prepared to attack. " _Even if I do manage to hit the bird, it just shrugs off my attacks,_ " Bolt thought. " _I need something stronger… Maybe this will work._ " He closed his eyes as he brought his paws closer together and began to gather aura in between them. The four girls down below watched in awe as it gradually took the shape of a blue sphere.

"Do you think that could be…?" Ruby trailed off.

Her sister nodded. "Yeah. That must be his Aura Sphere."

"What is that supposed to mean? What is he doing and how is he doing it?!" Weiss demanded to know.

"Yeah. And what's an 'Aura Sphere?'" the black-haired girl inquired.

Yang continued to stare at her friend as she began to explain. "You see, Bolt has a unique Semblance." As she looked on, the Aura Sphere kept growing. "He's what is known as a shapeshifter. It allows him to turn into a creature capable of using different kinds of attacks." The Aura Sphere was now the size of a basketball. "According to our uncle Qrow, Bolt's a rare case, a kind of creature that has the ability to use aura both defensively and offensively."

Weiss and Blake were astonished to hear that. "So that move he's using…" Blake said.

"Yep," the blonde brawler answered. " _That's_ Aura Sphere."

Bolt's eyes snapped open and he focused on the Grimm. His eyes tracked the way the Nevermore flew through the air and finally, he launched his attack forward. The Aura Sphere scored a direct hit on the giant bird's face, making it caw in pain and anger as it was thrown back slightly. Once it recovered, it soared toward the source with rage in its eyes.

" **Ruby, I think I got its attention! Now what?** " the Lucario asked as the Nevermore closed in fast.

"Get it to open its mouth! Use that move you used earlier! Yang, be ready!" the youngest girl ordered.

" **You got it, Ruby!** " Bolt called, having an idea of what she was planning. " **Bone Rush!** " He formed the glowing blue bone for the third time. " **Alright, you giant birdbrain…** " He leaped toward the Nevermore as it opened its mouth. " _ **Bone**_ **appétit!** " His pun garnered a laugh from his blonde friend while the other three girls just groaned.

Once he was close enough, he thrust his bone forward into the Nevermore's mouth, letting it hold its beak open. The Grimm shrieked in annoyance as Bolt swung back toward the group on the ground.

"Yang, go!" Ruby shouted. Her older sister jumped toward the shapeshifter. Bolt stretched out his paws and Yang took them; using his strength, he tossed her upward, right into the Nevermore's path, while he landed next to Ruby. As the giant bird was shaking its head to try to dislodge the bone, it was open for Yang to grab the top of its beak with her left hand and stand on the lower part. She reared her right fist back and fired a barrage of shells into the monster's mouth while screaming, "I! Hope! You're! Hun! Gry!"

The Nevermore screeched in pain with each blow. Yang glanced behind her and quickly backflipped out of the Grimm's mouth right before it smashed into a cliff. The crash knocked the bone out of its mouth as it landed on its talons. The Grimm recovered slower than before, but still stood up straight and let out a caw.

Now on the ground, Yang glanced up and smiled when she saw everyone was in position and that Weiss was speeding toward her. The white-haired girl passed her as she ran toward everyone else. The Nevermore began to ascend into the air, but before it could get far, Weiss jumped up to where it had been standing and froze its tail to the ground. No matter how much it flapped, it was trapped where it was.

Weiss jumped back and created a Glyph to get her to the ground before running to regroup with the other four. Blake, standing atop a high pillar, fired her pistol across a gap to where Yang was. The blonde grabbed the gun out of the air and the two tightened the whip between the two columns. Ruby fired a round from her scythe to get up into the air, then balanced on her weapon as she landed on the whip and stretched it back. Weiss created a black Glyph that held the scythe wielder in place while Bolt clapped his hands three times and a dark blue aura surrounded himself and then Ruby.

"Of course you would come up with this idea," Weiss remarked to her partner.

"Think you can make the shot?" Ruby inquired.

The heiress smirked. "Hmm! Can I!"

"… Can you?"

"Of course I can!"

" **Good luck, Ruby!** " Bolt told her with a smile.

The silver-eyed girl smiled back before facing forward with a determined expression. Weiss' Glyph changed from black to red and released Ruby at high speed; at the same time, Ruby fired a shot that sent her flying toward the Nevermore even faster. She continued to fire shots from her scythe, bringing her closer to the Nevermore, until she managed to hook her scythe under its neck, slamming it into the cliff. Her feet touched the side of the cliff and cracked it, due to the boost in strength from Bolt's Helping Hand.

The heiress created a series of Glyphs that went up the cliff and reached all the way to the top. Firing another shot to propel her forward and using the added strength granted her by the Helping Hand, Ruby dashed up the cliffside, dragging the giant bird with her. She continued to fire shots that increased her speed while everyone else watched from the ground.

Finally, she reached the top, and with one last cry, she fired another round. The final round propelled her blade through the Nevermore's neck, decapitating the monster while she landed on the cliff next to its severed head. The body fell lifelessly into the abyss down below as everyone, including a now-conscious Ren, stared in amazement. "Wow," Jaune muttered.

Weiss, Blake, Bolt, and Yang all stood together and looked to the top of the cliff, where Ruby was now standing. "Well… that was a thing," Yang remarked.

Blue aura spread throughout Bolt's body and he turned back to human after a flash of light. The blue-haired boy smiled happily, feeling like he finally avenged his parents. "Yeah, it was," he agreed.

* * *

Afterward, the nine of them made it out of the forest and back to Beacon with the rest of the students. Now that they weren't in life-threatening danger, Ruby and Yang introduced Bolt to the other six students. He was met with mixed reactions from them, with the four students who defeated the Death Stalker being the friendliest to him, especially Nora and Pyrrha. Blake carried her usual look of indifference while Weiss just seemed less cold than how she usually acted.

Once they reached Beacon, the sight of the school amazing the shapeshifter, the process of forming teams began.

"Russell Thrush. Cardin Winchester. Dove Bronzewing. Sky Lark," Ozpin called as the four boys mentioned stood in front of him. Their faces appeared on the screens above them. "The four of you retrieved the black bishop pieces. From this day forward, you will work as Team CRDL (Cardinal), led by Cardin Winchester." While everyone applauded for the four boys, Bolt glared at the newly formed team from the back of the crowd. Rather, he glared at Cardin and Dove, the two boys who had attacked him in the forest.

Eventually, the four of them left the stage so that the next four students could take their place. Their faces were next to appear onscreen. "Jaune Arc. Lie Ren. Pyrrha Nikos. Nora Valkyrie. The four of you retrieved the white rook pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team JNPR (Juniper)," the headmaster announced. Nora hugged Ren while laughing as the audience clapped for them, Bolt included. "Led by… Jaune Arc!"

"Huh?" the boy said in confusion while his partner grinned at him. "L-Led by?"

"Congratulations, young man," Ozpin told him. Pyrrha gave him a friendly punch to the shoulder but ended up accidentally knocking him to the floor, making the audience laugh. The four of them cleared the stage so that the next four students could take their places there, with their faces once again taking up the screen. Bolt clapped when he saw Yang and Ruby walk onto the stage.

"And finally: Blake Belladonna. Ruby Rose. Weiss Schnee. Yang Xiao Long. The four of you retrieved the white knight pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team RWBY (Ruby). Led by… Ruby Rose!"

Weiss looked shocked at the announcement, while Ruby seemed speechless. Yang hugged her sister. "I'm so proud of you!" she exclaimed.

"And now we have come to the end," Ozpin said. As the four girls started to walk away, he suddenly called out to them. "Ms. Rose, Ms. Xiao Long." The sisters stopped and faced him again while the other two girls continued walking. "I would like to have a word with you two in my office." He turned and began to walk away. "And please, bring your friend with you." While Ruby was confused, Yang looked surprised as he headed back to his office.

"Which friend do you think he was talking about?" Ruby inquired.

"… I think he was talking about Bolt," Yang answered, causing Ruby's eyes to widen. "He's the only friend that only _we_ have."

"But how would he know about him?"

"Maybe he saw him while we were in the forest," the blonde suggested. "After all, he did say we were being monitored. Let's just go get Bolt."

* * *

Bolt was surprised when, after congratulating the two sisters for becoming a team and Ruby for becoming the team's leader, Yang told him that the headmaster of the school wanted to see him. Though perplexed about why, he followed the two girls to Ozpin's office. Once they stepped out of the elevator into the room, they were greeted by Ozpin sitting behind his desk.

"Thank you for coming. Welcome to Beacon. I am Professor Ozpin, the headmaster of this school," he spoke, his statement directed to the blue-haired boy.

Bolt tilted his head before responding. "Um, hello."

"I'm sure you have questions about why I wanted you here," the headmaster continued.

"Well, yeah," Bolt confirmed. He was still wondering about that.

"I've wanted to meet you for quite some time," Ozpin explained. He went on before Bolt could ask another question. "I've actually known about your presence in the Emerald Forest for years."

At that, the blue-haired boy's eyes grew wide, as well as the two sisters. "You have? How?!"

"Today was not the first day I've held the initiation in the forest, though I suspect that you know that already."

It took Bolt a few seconds to understand, but he got it. "You mean, all those times when people entered the forest and then left, it was for this initiation?" he inquired.

Ozpin nodded. "Correct. There are hidden cameras in the forest that we use to watch our students. Of course, I never did see where you resided, but you did appear on camera a few times, even if you were moving fast."

Bolt realized that if there had been cameras in the forest, he wouldn't be able to sense them, since they were inanimate objects and didn't have aura. Then something else came to mind: whenever he did sense other people in the forest, he always changed to Riolu because he could hide better and it was easier to find his cave. The only time he could be caught on camera was as Riolu, which meant…

"Wait. Do you… know about my Semblance?" Bolt questioned hesitantly.

The headmaster's smile grew a bit wider, as if he were waiting to see if Bolt would realize it. "Yes," he answered. This earned another round of shock from the three of them.

"How could you possibly know about it?!" Yang exclaimed.

"Your friend here isn't the first shapeshifter I've met, your uncle being a good example. In fact, your uncle was the one who informed me about him," Ozpin told her.

"You know Uncle Qrow?" Ruby inquired.

"We keep in touch," he replied. "It's also because of him that I know about your… past."

Bolt could tell what he was talking about. He looked down in slight sadness.

"But that's not why I wanted to speak with you," the headmaster went on. "I wanted to offer you a chance."

Bolt looked up curiously. "A chance for what?"

"An opportunity to join this school." Bolt's eyes widened in surprise again. "As I said earlier, I've monitored you in the forest. I know that you haven't had much contact with people for years, and I can see your potential as a Huntsman. I do not want it to go to waste. After all, your parents were excellent students here. Plus, if you become a student here, you wouldn't be away from your friends." He gestured to Yang and Ruby. "You might even make some new friends here. What do you say?"

The shapeshifter thought about his offer. It was true that he had indeed been depressed about not being able to hang out with Yang anymore, but now he had a chance to go to school with her. Not to mention, if he accepted, he would be one step closer to achieving his dream of becoming a Huntsman. With those thoughts, he beamed at the headmaster. "I would love to become a student here!"

The two sisters cheered behind him while Ozpin smiled at his enthusiasm. "That's wonderful," he said.

Bolt's smile dropped and he had an inquisitive look on his face. "So now that I'm a student, do I have to go through the initiation, too?"

Ozpin chuckled at his question. "Oh, I don't think that will be necessary. I'm sure you've proved your skill surviving in the Emerald Forest for seven years." Bolt had to agree with him on that point. "Though I rarely ever do this, I will be putting you on an already formed team, which will make it a five-person team. The team you will be joining is none other than… Team RWBY."

The three students' eyes grew wide once again before they all grinned. "After all, Ms. Xiao Long was technically the first person you made eye contact with in the forest, which would make the two of you partners."

"Thank you so much, professor!" Bolt exclaimed happily while his two friends hugged him in excitement.

"You are welcome. Now, you may head to your dorm and meet up with the rest of your team."

The three students complied, eager to tell their other teammates the news, with Yang still holding onto Bolt. Once they disappeared into the elevator, Ozpin said to himself, "Looks like things are shaping up to be an… interesting year."

* * *

 **And done! I'm super pumped to have finished the initiation! Next chapter will be Bolt's first day at Beacon.**

 **Well, the moment has finally come! Bolt is now a Lucario! He's even learned three new attacks to boot! As time goes on, he will continue to learn more new moves, but for now, I hope you guys are satisfied with the ones he has now. Also, this chapter should explain why I gave Bolt the bo staff/clawed gauntlets as his weapon. It was supposed to resemble Lucario's Metal Claw and Bone Rush attacks.**

 **I hope you guys liked the battles, since Bolt got involved, as well as the puns I made up! I try to do my best in that area, considering I actually like Yang's puns!**

 **I also hope you guys liked the BoltxYang scenes. Again, I did my best, but keep in mind that I'm still not very good at writing romance.**

 **Of course, one of the areas in the pokemon games I've always been curious about, and still am, is what happens when a non-Steel type pokemon that has been poisoned evolves into a Steel type. I mean, would the poison just disappear since Steel types are immune? I only know of three non-Steel types that evolve into Steel types, and since two of them evolve through trade while the last one evolves through max happiness, it's not exactly something I can test out. I just decided to make Bolt immune to poison upon evolving.**

 **If I recall, one of my reviewers, yukicrewger2, asked if I would make Bolt a Lucario before we got to Beacon. My response was yes and no. My explanation: no, he was not Lucario before everyone got to Beacon, but yes, he evolved before he himself was invited there. As you can see, I was being technical when I answered that question.**

 **Also, if anyone noticed, I did sort of leave hints that he would join Team RWBY. The title was a big clue!**

 **I hope the flashback scene was satisfactory, too. I'm really not sure how good a job I did with it.**

 **With nothing else to talk about, I'll jump to my story recommendations:**

 **Mercs in Remnant: V2 by chief of RAGE – This is a really funny RWBY/ Team Fortress 2 crossover where the RED Team ends up in Remnant. Check it out!**

 **Daughter of the Stars by Sally B. Mcgill – An AU Fairy Tail fanfiction where both of Lucy's parents died when she was very young. Lucy ends up being stronger than she is in canon and has a different personality. I kinda promised my sister that I'd recommend this, but it is really great, so go ahead and read it!**

 **Huntsmen in Kalos by Coral the Leviathan – Sequel to A Trainer in Remnant. After a run-in with the assailant (won't spoil that for anyone who hasn't read the Fairy Contender), Teams RWBY and JNPR end up in the Kalos region on a mission to find Vanessa after she gets kidnapped. This story is awesome, so please check it out!**

 **That's all for this chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed everything! Keep those favorites, follows, and reviews coming in, and I'll be back sometime in the future with Chapter 10!**


	10. First Day at Beacon, Part 2

**Hello once again, everybody. It's me, Sparky D.! Looks like I've finally hit the double digits in regards to the number of chapters! Hooray! I actually added a little surprise in this chapter! Now to answer the reviews from last chapter:**

 **delta4phoenix: Oh yeah, it definitely hurt, but like I said, he would be much better by the end of the chapter! I actually explained at the end of Chapter 2 the answer to your first question, but I'll repeat it.**

 **I needed a name that started with B because of his hair color being blue. My brother suggested Bolt, and I went with it. I figured it would also represent how fast he can move when he's using his Semblance.**

 **As for your second question, well, I never really bothered to change the cover picture, so it's just the same as the image on my profile. Don't worry, I've changed it to something that makes more sense.**

 **It's good that you've already read that; it is pretty impressive after all!**

 **Doodledoo2431: Thank you very much! I can't believe I forgot about Nosepass and Probopass, though.**

 **yukicrewger2: Hm, all excellent ideas, though Lucario can't learn Electro/Energy/Ice Ball and can only learn Shadow Ball through a TM, and Bolt doesn't have that TM. As for the others, I've already implemented a punch move with Force Palm (Bolt's Thunder Palm). I don't know if Lucario can learn any claw/cutting moves aside from Metal Claw, and could you explain what you mean by "bashing" moves?**

 **Shadowdragon9802: Thanks a lot! Hmmm… "Black Hood" will undoubtedly reappear before the end of Volume 1, but I won't say where! As to when I'll be updating my other fanfic, the answer is at the bottom!**

 **Now let's head straight into the story!**

* * *

Chapter 10 – First Day at Beacon, Part 2

It was a beautiful morning the next day. The birds were chirping, the sun was shining, and Weiss was sleeping peacefully. She woke up soon and let out a yawn. As she was starting to fully wake up, she suddenly noticed that her partner was standing next to her, fully dressed in uniform, and holding a whistle. Ruby blew the whistle, startling Weiss and causing her to fall to the floor. "Good morning, Team RWBBY!" she shouted excitedly.

"What in the world is wrong with you?!" the heiress yelled.

"Now that you're awake, we can officially begin our first order of business," Ruby said.

"Excuse me?" Weiss asked, standing up and dusting herself off, seeing everyone in uniform except for herself.

"Decorating!" Yang exclaimed.

"What?!"

"We still have to unpack," Blake pointed out, holding up a suitcase. It opened up and the contents spilled to the ground. "…And clean."

Even Bolt was up and dressed in a school uniform that had been delivered to their room, though he still had on his gloves, like his blonde friend. He shrugged. "I don't have a lot of things, just my satchel that I brought with me."

Weiss stared at them in annoyance until Ruby blew her whistle again, making her fall back to the floor. "Alright! Weiss, Blake, Bolt, Yang, and their fearless leader Ruby have begun their first mission! Banzai!" she shouted, throwing her fist in the air.

"Banzai!" Blake, Yang, and Bolt repeated enthusiastically, throwing their fists into the air as well. Weiss just watched on with a sigh.

The team spent the next 20 minutes unpacking their things and putting them away somewhere. Once the five were finished, they relaxed to see the results and almost immediately spotted a problem. While everything they had unpacked looked arranged neatly, the beds were another story; they were in a pile in the center of the room.

"This isn't going to work," Weiss said.

"It is a bit cramped," the black-haired girl observed.

"What could we do to make room for the beds?" Bolt wondered.

"Maybe we should ditch some of our stuff," Yang suggested.

"Or we could ditch the beds…" Ruby gasped. "…and replace them with bunk beds!"

Weiss turned to her. "That sounds incredibly dangerous."

"And super awesome!" the blonde exclaimed.

"It does seem efficient," Blake agreed.

Bolt tilted his head. "Do I actually get a say in this? I don't exactly sleep in this room." He remembered when the two sisters had brought him here yesterday and what had followed.

* * *

 _Flashback—_

" _We're back!" Yang announced as the three of them stepped into their room. Weiss and Blake were confused at the presence of the blue-haired boy._

" _What is_ he _doing here?" the heiress questioned._

" _I have a name, you know," Bolt muttered._

" _Ozpin put him on our team!" Ruby cheered while Blake and Weiss looked shocked to hear that._

" _What?!" Weiss shouted._

" _Yeah, he said that he deserved it after all the time he'd spent in the Emerald Forest by himself," Yang went on._

" _So Ozpin just accepted you into his school?" Blake inquired._

" _Yep!" Bolt answered. "And he put me on this team because I was technically the first person that Yang made eye contact with in the forest."_

" _So now we have to share our room with a boy?" Weiss said in frustration._

" _I guess so," Bolt responded._

 _Before the white-haired girl could complain further, Blake spoke up. "There's just one problem," she said, gesturing to the beds. "There are only four beds, and I'm not sure if we have room for a fifth."_

" _Well, I think it only makes sense that our newest member sleep on the floor," Weiss suggested. Of course, she was met with a rebuttal from the two sisters._

" _But Weiss, that wouldn't be fair to Bolt," Ruby said._

" _Well, this team was originally supposed to be the four of us before he was added in," Weiss argued. Bolt stared at the girls arguing before walking away, unnoticed._

" _Ruby's right; it wouldn't be fair for him, especially with what he been through the past few years," Yang said, crossing her arms._

" _Oh? And just what has he been through?" the heiress questioned, also crossing her arms. Before Yang could answer that, the black-haired girl spoke up again._

" _Uh, guys?" Everyone turned to look at her. "He's not here anymore." The three girls blinked before whirling around, seeing an outline of the shapeshifter that indicated that he was indeed no longer in the room._

" _Where'd he go?!" Yang exclaimed, looking around for her friend. They figured it out when they saw that the previously closed window was now open. The four rushed to the window and looked out. "Bolt!"_

 _The girls heard a yawn above them. "What's up? Besides me, that is." They looked up to see the blue-haired boy sitting on a tree branch above them with his back leaning against the tree, his arms behind his head, and his eyes closed._

" _What are you doing up there?" Ruby inquired._

 _He yawned again, cracking open an eye. "Trying to get some sleep. It's been a long day, what with me getting poisoned and evolving and all that."_

" _You're just going to sleep in the tree?" Blake asked disbelievingly._

" _Yep," he confirmed, opening his other eye. "Believe it or not, I've grown used to this. I'll be fine. See you girls tomorrow." With that, he closed his eyes and fell asleep while the girls watched uncertainly._

 _Flashback end_

* * *

"Well, aside from him, I say we put this to a vote," Weiss suggested.

"You can call me by my name, you know…"

"I think we just did," Ruby told the heiress, as she, Yang, and Blake were all for the bunk beds while Weiss was against them. Within the next five minutes, the beds were arranged into two bunk beds and the room was looking more organized.

"You know, I might have to agree with Weiss on this," Bolt said, staring at the beds with uncertainty. "These don't look very safe."

"I'm sure it'll be fine!" Ruby replied cheerfully. "Now for our next order of business – classes!" She sat down on her bed as she opened up a book that held the team's schedule. "Now, we have a few classes together today. At nine, we've got a—"

"What?! Did you say nine o'clock?!" Weiss shouted, wide-eyed.

"Um…"

"It's 8:55, you dunce!" With that, the heiress dashed out of the room while the rest of her team watched, along with the newly-formed Team JNPR.

"U-Uh… to class!" Ruby announced, and the remaining four members bolted after Weiss.

"Class?" Jaune said as he and his team fell to the floor. He was the first to recover as he ran after his fellow first-year team. "We're gonna be late!"

"Is that a bad thing?" Bolt asked as they ran, not familiar with this kind of thing since he had never gone to school before.

"Teachers don't like it when students arrive late to class," Yang explained to her friend. "We have to show up before class starts or else we could get in trouble." Bolt nodded in understanding. The group of nine ran past Ozpin and Glynda on their way to class. Ozpin merely took a sip of his coffee while Glynda checked the time on her watch.

"Monsters! Demons! Prowlers of the night! Yes, the creatures of Grimm have many names, but I merely refer to them as prey. Ha ha!"

The two teams had made it to their first class on time: Grimm Studies. Their teacher was a stout man with gray hair, thick eyebrows over a pair of squinty eyes, and a bushy mustache. His name was Professor Port.

Of all the members of Team RWBBY, only Weiss was taking notes. Blake and Yang were staring ahead blankly while Ruby had fallen asleep, though she awoke with a snort when Port laughed. Bolt was somewhere in between, staring ahead but extremely bored. " _Is school supposed to be this boring?_ " he wondered as he stifled a yawn.

Seeing nobody react to his statement, the teacher went on, pacing as he spoke. "And you shall too, upon graduating from this prestigious academy! Now as I was saying, Vale, as well as the other three Kingdoms, are safe havens in an otherwise treacherous world. Our planet is teeming with creatures that would love nothing more than to rip you to shreds. And that's where we come in.

"Huntsmen! Huntresses!" He clicked his tongue at Yang; the blonde just rolled her eyes while the blue-haired boy next to her narrowed his. "Individuals who have promised to protect those who are unable to protect themselves. From what, you ask? Why, the very world!"

The room went silent again until a boy sitting closer to the top cheered at his speech. Team RWBBY just stared at him, making him sit down again.

"That is what you are training to become, but first, a story. A tale of a young, handsome man – me!" At this point, even Weiss was struggling to stay awake. Ruby occupied herself with drawing a picture while Professor Port continued his speech, saying something about cabbages. Nearly every word he said sounded like "blah" in the student's ears.

Ruby started giggling at her picture before holding it up for her team to see. On the paper was a silly drawing of Professor Port with stink lines coming off of him and the words "Professor Poop" at the bottom. Ruby, Yang, and Bolt snickered at the picture while Blake smirked and Weiss glared at her partner, until their teacher cleared his throat to get their attention.

"In the end, the Beowolf was no match for my sheer tenacity, and I returned to my village with the beast in captivity and my head held high, celebrated as a hero!" He bowed to show that he was finished with his story, though in all honesty, Bolt had missed most of it due to boredom. It was then he felt anger, and it was coming off of Weiss.

Looking at the heiress, he could see that she was glowering at their team leader. " _What's her deal?_ " he wondered.

"The moral of the story? A true Huntsman must be honorable. A true Huntsman must be dependable. A true Huntsman must be strategic, well-educated, and wise." The more Weiss looked at Ruby, the angrier she got till she was shaking. Bolt stared at her worriedly. "So, who here thinks that they are the embodiment of these traits?" the teacher asked.

The white-haired girl's hand shot up almost instantly. "I do, sir!" she nearly shouted.

"Well then, let's find out," he said, looking at a cage near the wall. He gestured to the cage, where something resided inside. "Step forward, and face your opponent."

* * *

After leaving for a few minutes to change, Weiss returned, now in her combat wear and with her weapon out, ready to fight.

"Go, Weiss!" Yang cheered.

"Fight well!" Blake added.

"Do your best!" Bolt joined in.

"Yeah! Represent Team RWBBY!" Ruby finished the cheering.

Weiss glared at her. "Ruby! I'm trying to focus!" she snapped at the younger girl.

"Oh, uh… sorry," she apologized.

Bolt raised an eyebrow at that. "Did she not hear us or is she ignoring the rest of us?" he whispered to Yang. She shrugged, glaring at the white-haired girl.

"Alright! Let the match begin!" Port announced, using an ax to cut the lock on the door. The cage door fell open and revealed that a Boarbatusk was inside. The beast immediately charged toward Weiss with killer intent. The heiress sidestepped its approach while simultaneously slashing its side with her rapier. It stopped and turned to face her.

"Hah! Wasn't expecting that, were you?" the teacher commented from the side.

"Hang in there, Weiss!" Ruby encouraged her.

The heiress rushed toward the Grimm as it ran at her; the result was Weiss getting her rapier stuck between its tusks. She began struggling to free her weapon.

"Come on, Weiss, show it who's boss!" the leader shouted.

Weiss took a moment to glare at her partner, which proved to be a mistake. The Boarbatusk wrenched the sword from her grasp and tossed it behind them before knocking the heiress to the ground with its tusk.

"Ho ho! Now what will you do without your weapon?" Port questioned.

Weiss got onto her knees and glared at the Grimm, but it quickly changed to shock when she saw the beast charging toward her again. She rolled to the side, letting the Grimm continue running until it crashed into a desk and fell onto its back. Now on her feet, she ran toward her weapon as fast as she could.

"Hmmm… I've fought Boarbatusks before, and while their armor can be broken through with enough force, they do have a weak spot," Bolt stated.

Ruby gasped in realization. "You're right!" She turned back to Weiss, who had just retrieved her weapon. "Weiss, go for its belly! There's no armor underneath—"

"Stop telling me what to do!" the white-haired girl yelled, making the silver-eyed girl remain silent in sadness.

Bolt's eyes narrowed. " _Okay, something is_ definitely _wrong with her,_ " he thought.

Now back on its feet, the Boarbatusk roared and curled into a ball. It began to spin rapidly and shot off toward the heiress. Weiss quickly created a blue Glyph in front of her; when the Grimm crashed into it, it bounced off, uncurling itself and landing on its back again.

Seeing her chance, the heiress jumped up onto a black Glyph that held her in place to build momentum. Once she was ready, the Glyph became blue and launched her forward. She stabbed her rapier into the beast's stomach, causing it to squeal in pain until its struggles stopped and the monster died.

"Bravo! Bravo! It seems we are indeed in the presence of a true Huntress-in-training!" Professor Port commented while Weiss panted in exhaustion. "I'm afraid that's all the time we have for today. Be sure to cover the assigned readings and stay vigilant! Class dismissed."

Weiss glowered at her partner one last time before leaving the room. The rest of Team RWBBY looked at one another before the blue-haired boy stood up to confront her.

* * *

The heiress was storming away when she heard someone call her name. "Weiss." She turned around to see that it was the only boy on her team, and he didn't look happy.

"What?" she asked heatedly.

"I think you know what," Bolt responded. "What was all that back there? Why are you so angry at Ruby? Did she do something?"

"No! That's exactly the problem!" Weiss yelled. "She's done nothing to earn her position! She's immature and acts like a child! She acted like a child in the forest and she's just continuing to do so!"

"Wasn't Ruby the one who came up with the plan to kill the Nevermore? I think she's plenty mature," Bolt retorted. "And besides, she's two years younger than everyone here and it's her first day as leader. Cut her some slack! You were the one who said that you were willing to work together with her in the forest!" Unbeknownst to the two, the silver-eyed girl had crept to the corner to listen to their conversation.

"I don't want to be on a team led by her," Weiss said coldly. "I've studied and trained, and frankly, I deserve better."

The shapeshifter's eyes narrowed again. "Now I see the problem. You're jealous, aren't you?" He saw the heiress stiffen slightly, which confirmed his statement. " _You_ wanted to be team leader, didn't you?"

She gritted her teeth. "I am not going to talk about this. She doesn't belong in this school, and frankly, I don't believe that you do, either!"

Bolt's eyebrows went up. "Me?"

"Everyone in this school earned their spot by going through training at combat schools, even our childish leader. But not you; you claim to live in a forest! You didn't even go through proper combat training! I don't know what Ozpin saw that drove him to let a total stranger in!"

"What does proper combat training have to do with being able to fight?" the shapeshifter questioned. "Just because I wasn't 'trained properly,' as you put it, doesn't make me any less capable in a fight. I'm sure you saw my performance in the forest; I could probably beat _you_ in a fight. Just because you think you're better than us because you _think_ you've had better training, doesn't mean it's true. It just makes you sound spoiled and arrogant!"

The heiress' eyes widened before she glowered at him and stubbornly turned away. "I'm done talking about this. Ozpin made a mistake, simple as that." And with that, she stormed off.

Bolt watched her go with a sigh, upset that she would be mad at Ruby just because she was made the leader and him for being accepted into the school. He blinked and then sighed again. "So how long have you been standing there?" he asked out loud. Now that he wasn't focused on his argument with the white-haired girl, he could sense that Ruby was near.

Said girl came out of her hiding spot, knowing that her friend was talking to her. "Near the beginning." She looked down nervously before glancing up at her friend. "Do you think she's right? That it was a mistake for me to be chosen to be leader?"

The blue-haired boy frowned. "Of course not, Ruby," he answered honestly. "Like I said, you can come up with incredible strategies in battle, like the one we used to take down the Nevermore. It's only your first day; you'll get better."

She smiled gratefully at his words before a third voice entered the conversation. "He's right." The two turned and saw Ozpin standing behind them. "As Mr. Burns here pointed out, it has only been one day. I've made more mistakes than any man, woman, or child on this planet. But at this moment, I would not consider your appointment to leader as one of them.

"Being a team leader isn't just a title that you carry into battle, but a badge you wear constantly," Ozpin went on. "If you are not always performing at your absolute best, then what reason do you give others to follow you?" Ruby looked down before staring at the headmaster with a smile.

* * *

Meanwhile, Weiss walked outside, where she saw Professor Port standing near a railing and staring up at the sky. She walked up to him. "Professor Port!"

"Ah, Ms. Schnee!" he said in greeting. "And to what do I owe this fine pleasure?"

"I… I enjoyed your lecture," she told him.

"Of course you did, child. You have the blood of a true Huntress in you," he replied.

"You really think so?"

"Most definitely!" Weiss looked away shyly, something he took note of. "Hmmm… Something's troubling you."

"Yes, sir…" she admitted.

"Dear girl, confess to me your strife!"

"Well…" She remembered Bolt's accusation just a few minutes ago. "I think I should've been made the leader of Team RWBBY," she confessed.

The teacher went silent for a few seconds, and then he responded. "That's preposterous!"

"Excuse me?!" she exclaimed, obviously not expecting that remark.

"I've believed in Professor Ozpin for many years, and the man's never once led me astray!" he declared.

"So you would just blindly accept his decision even after seeing how exceptional I am?" Weiss questioned.

"With all due respect, your exceptional skill on the battlefield is matched only by your poor attitude," he commented.

"How dare you!"

"My point exactly. I see a girl before me who has spent her entire life getting exactly what she wanted," Port said.

The white-haired heiress folded her arms. "That's not even remotely true." Upon seeing her teacher raise an eyebrow, she relented. "Well… not entirely true." Again, she thought back to what her teammate had said to her not long ago.

"So the outcome did not fall in your favor. Do you really believe that acting in such a manner would cause those in power to reconsider their decision?" Port inquired as Weiss looked down thoughtfully. "Instead of fretting over what you don't have, savor what you do." She looked back at him as he continued to advise her. "Hone your skills, perfect every technique, and be not the best leader, but the best person you can be." Once he finished, a small smile crossed the girl's face.

* * *

Ozpin turned around. "You've been burdened with a daunting responsibility, Ruby. I suggest you take some time to think about how you will uphold it," the headmaster advised as he began to walk away. "And Bolt…" The aforementioned teen looked up at the call of his name. "…do not forget what I told you." After he was gone, the shapeshifter glanced at his team's leader. Ruby walked closer to the exit of the school and saw Professor Port marching away from her partner, who was just standing outside staring at the blue sky as if in thought.

The silver-eyed girl smiled before turning to her blue-haired friend. "Come on, Bolt. Let's get to our next class," she told him.

Bolt smiled back. He could sense that she was feeling better. "Alright, lead the way," he agreed. Just as he turned around, he felt Ruby grab his arm. Looking at her curiously, he was a bit surprised when she suddenly hugged him.

"Thanks for helping to cheer me up," she said.

He grinned, hugging her back before ruffling a hand through her hair. "No problem."

She pulled away and smiled at him. "For what it's worth, I think you did earn your spot in this school." Her statement made his grin widen. With that, the two made their way to meet up with their team and head to their next class.

* * *

Once Ruby and Bolt met up with Blake and Yang, the four continued on with their day. Though they didn't see Weiss the whole day, Bolt had sensed her a few times and reassured the rest of the team that she was fine. The sisters had faith in his aura-sensing abilities while Blake was a bit more uncertain, but ultimately dropped the matter.

Finally, the remainder of Team RWBBY made it to their last class of the day: Combat Class. Once they arrived, they saw that their teacher was Glynda Goodwitch. "Welcome, class," she greeted all of the students, which consisted of all of the first years. "In this class, we will be focusing on improving your fighting skills. Not just for fighting Grimm, but also other Huntsmen and Huntresses."

The teacher gestured to the two screens close to the ceiling. "Those screens will display your Aura levels during your spars so that everyone can see them, and I will be monitoring them from my tablet." She held it up for the class to see before looking down at it. "Since it's only the first day of classes, we'll only have one match so that you students can see how it will be done." The headmaster knew that this class would be comprised of the first-year students and had requested one of the fighters for the match, wanting to see how he would do against an actual person in a fight. "Would Bolt Burns please step down onto the arena?"

The blue-haired teen looked surprised to be called, but complied with her instructions. Once on the field, Glynda began searching through her tablet. "Now, let's find you an opponent."

Bolt thought for a moment before speaking up. "Actually…" he said, getting her attention. "Would it be alright if I chose my opponent?"

Glynda raised an eyebrow but decided to allow it. As Bolt's gaze looked over his fellow classmates, his eyes briefly met Yang's. The blonde pointed at herself with an expectant grin, to which Bolt smiled softly in return and lightly shook his head. He knew that the two of them tended to go overboard when they sparred, and besides, he already had someone in mind.

"I choose… that guy!" the shapeshifter declared, pointing at Cardin Winchester.

The brown-haired teen was caught off-guard at that, but his expression quickly changed from startled to arrogant. "Are you sure you want to lose that badly?" he asked cockily.

Bolt was unamused. "Just get down here so we can do this."

Cardin's eyes narrowed angrily, and he made his way down to the arena. "You've got quite a mouth, ya little punk. Guess I'll have to teach you a lesson."

"Just try it," Bolt retorted, matching the taller boy's expression.

* * *

After a few minutes, the two fighters returned to the classroom, now battle ready. Bolt had on his typical combat attire while Cardin was wearing his armor, and both of them had their respective weapons. Unbeknownst to the rest of Team RWBBY, Weiss had arrived, watching the spar from out of her teammates' sight.

Glynda looked back and forth between the two before shouting, "Begin!"

Cardin crouched down, ready to attack with his mace in hand. "Well, twerp, I hope you're ready to lose, 'cause that's what's about to—" His eyes widened when Bolt suddenly sprinted forward, appearing in front of him in a matter of seconds.

"You talk a lot," he said simply before twirling his staff and jabbing the armor-wearing teen in the chest.

"Whoa! He's fast!" Jaune said, astonished by Bolt's speed.

Despite the fact that he was wearing armor, Cardin winced, having felt the blow. He growled and charged at Bolt, swinging his mace. The shorter teen dodged by jumping back. Cardin continued to swing his mace, trying to hit Bolt, but he was too nimble for him.

Finally, the armor-wearing teen swung again and Bolt dodged underneath, ending up behind him. He swept his staff at Cardin's feet, tripping him up and causing him to fall on his face. A few people snickered in the stands.

"I thought you said you wanted to beat me. Surely this isn't the best you can do," the shapeshifter taunted him.

Cardin's face turned red with rage as he got back on his feet. He slammed his mace on the ground, making a series of explosions erupt from the ground, heading Bolt's way. While he was caught off-guard at first, Bolt jumped to the side to avoid it. He sensed Cardin trying to attack him while he wasn't looking and quickly whirled around to block the mace with his staff.

The taller teen pushed down, trying to overpower Bolt, but the shapeshifter was holding his ground quite well. He pushed against Cardin as his shoe started to glow before bursting into flames. " **Blaze Kick!** " He quickly kicked Cardin away, giving himself a moment to catch his breath.

His maneuver surprised everyone watching, except for the two sisters on his team. "He can use Fire Dust?!" Blake questioned.

"Yep, and that's not all," Ruby answered as she continued watching the fight.

Once Cardin recovered from the shock of the blue-haired boy's attack, he moved in to try and hit him again. The shorter teen ducked under his swing and swept his staff at Cardin's feet once again. Having learned from what happened last time, the armor-wearing teen jumped over the weapon. Of course, he didn't realize he had fallen into Bolt's trap.

The shapeshifter clenched his right fist as his glove glowed and the temperature around his hand dropped. An icy mist formed around his fist as it was encompassed in a blue light. " **Ice Punch!** " he shouted, slamming his fist into Cardin's chest, sending the taller teen flying back.

"So he uses Ice Dust too," Pyrrha observed.

"That's right," Yang confirmed. "Although, Bolt demonstrated to us that he actually doesn't need Dust to pull off those attacks." That surprised the five of them further. Weiss, too, watched in silent surprise.

The armor-wearing teen was panting, furious that he was being beaten so easily. He glared at the blue-haired boy who was humiliating him, seeing him stand confidently. His rage skyrocketed, and he charged at Bolt with a roar. The shapeshifter prepared himself for Cardin's onslaught.

The brown-haired teen started swinging his weapon around, trying desperately to hit the shorter teen, but Bolt was still too fast for him. He even attempted to surprise him with the explosions from his mace but to no avail. Eventually, after a minute of dodging, Cardin was starting to slow down due to exhaustion, which was what Bolt was waiting for.

Bolt rushed forward and slammed his staff into Cardin's gut, sending him staggering back. He didn't stop there as he continued to attack Cardin's face, chest, and stomach with a series of blows from his weapon. Once he was finished, he jumped back and waited to see what the taller teen would do. Cardin was currently breathing heavily, leaning on his mace for support.

"You should just give up now," Bolt advised. "You're no match for me."

Cardin was infuriated. He couldn't believe this was happening; he was losing to some arrogant punk. "I'm not giving up against a weakling like you!" He charged at Bolt once more, intent on smashing his face in.

The shapeshifter glared ahead. "So be it," he said. He ran forward to meet him.

As the two got close to each other, Cardin tried to slam his mace down on the shorter teen, but Bolt sidestepped the attack, the series of explosions sailing harmlessly past him. As the brown-haired teen turned toward him, Bolt threw his weapon up. Cardin swung his mace horizontally, but the blue-haired teen ducked under the attack once again and pressed his palm to Cardin's gut. " **Force Palm!** " he called out. The armor-wearing teen only had a second to look down before a blast of energy erupted from his palm sent him flying back for the umpteenth time. Cardin screamed in pain as he flew back before hitting the ground in defeat. Everyone stared at the shapeshifter, stunned at his abilities, except for Ruby and Yang since they had seen him fight before.

Glynda, shaking off her shock at witnessing Bolt fight, saw that the brown-haired teen was unable to get back up and called it. "And that's the match. It looks like Bolt Burns is the winner here." Now that the match was over, the victor took a deep breath before he smiled and caught his weapon out of the air, much to everyone's surprise. He slid it into its sheath as he started walking away from the arena. "Everyone will get a chance to spar with one another in this class as we continue to come here for the semester. For now, this will be all. Class dismissed."

With that, all of the students got up and headed for the exit. Ruby, Blake, Yang, and Team JNPR met up with Bolt outside of the classroom. He turned to face them as he sensed their approach.

"That was so COOL!" Nora exclaimed as they got closer.

"I must agree, that fight was quite entertaining," Pyrrha said. Ren nodded in agreement.

Bolt smiled at their compliments. "Thanks, guys."

Yang walked up to him with a smirk. "You know, it kinda seemed like you were showing off in there," she teased.

The blue-haired boy smirked back as he closed his eyes. "Well, maybe a little," he admitted.

The blonde's smirk grew. "Trying to impress someone?"

"Why? Were you impressed?" Bolt asked curiously.

Before Yang could answer, her partner cut in. "Bolt…" The aforementioned teen turned his attention to Blake. "Was there a reason you wanted to fight Cardin in particular?"

Bolt frowned as he thought about the teen he just beat. "Yeah, that jerk attacked me in the Emerald Forest. I beat him down then, but I wanted to defeat him in an official fight."

"He attacked you?" Jaune questioned.

"Yeah; he and that boy whose eyes are always closed," the shapeshifter affirmed.

"I think his name is Dove," the redhead supplied.

"Well, you did a good job in that match. I knew you had it from the start!" his silver-eyed leader said. He smiled at her in response. "Now let's head back to our dorms. It's getting dark." True to Ruby's words, the sun had almost entirely set as night was rolling in. With that, the eight students headed back to their rooms.

Before Bolt got too far, though, Yang grabbed his shoulder to stop him. He turned to her inquisitively. "What is it?"

Instead of replying, the blonde pressed her lips to Bolt's cheek, making his eyes widen as his cheeks grew warm. She pulled back with a smile. "Yeah, I was pretty impressed. Congratulations on your victory, B.B.," she said. Then she continued walking. Bolt stood there for a few seconds before he recovered. Then he grinned and ran to catch up with his team.

Meanwhile, Weiss was much farther back. She had seen the whole fight and she had to admit, Bolt might be right; it was possible he _could_ beat her in a fight. After all, he stomped Cardin, and he didn't even need his Semblance to do so. As she thought about everything she had been told today, she started heading back to her room as well.

* * *

Now back at her dorm room, the heiress saw that all of her teammates were asleep on their beds. She tiptoed to the open window, not wanting to wake anyone up, and peered outside. Bolt was sitting on his tree branch, asleep.

"Hey, Bolt," she whispered, shaking his leg. He yawned and cracked his eyes opened, seeing his white-haired teammate.

"What is it?" he asked.

She looked away for a second before looking back at him. "I… I want to apologize for the things I said to you earlier. You were right; I _was_ jealous, and I acted improperly. I want you to know that I won't act like that again."

The shapeshifter scrutinized her, and after a few seconds, Weiss was starting to get nervous. Just as she was about to speak up, Bolt cracked a small grin. "I forgive you," he said simply.

The heiress seemed dumbfounded. "That's it? Just like that?" she questioned.

"Yep. Just like that," he confirmed. "I can tell you really do feel sorry, and if you're willing to change, then that's good. But…" His expression turned serious. "…make sure you apologize to Ruby, too."

"Don't worry, I will," she told him.

"Good," the shapeshifter said, smiling again, and she couldn't help but smile back. "Good night, Weiss."

"Good night… Bolt," she said, making his smile widen slightly as he went back to sleep. Afterward, she went over to Ruby's bunk and pulled the cover up. Her team leader had fallen asleep, but the heiress was stunned to see that she had been studying before she did. She shook her arm, causing the younger girl to slowly wake up.

She jerked up when she saw it was her partner. "Weiss! I-I was studying, a-and I fell asleep! Sorry…" She had her head down as if she expected the white-haired girl to berate her, but Weiss just covered her mouth to and held a finger to her own lips to indicate that she wanted her to keep quiet. Weiss took notice of the empty coffee cup on her bed.

"How do you take your coffee?" she inquired.

"I-I don't…"

"Answer the question!"

"Uh, cream and five sugars!" Ruby blurted out. Weiss rolled her eyes before ducking out of sight and returning with a cup of coffee.

"Here." She handed it to her leader.

Ruby accepted it gratefully. "Um, thanks, Weiss."

The heiress smiled before she began speaking. "Ruby… I think you have what it takes to be a good leader. Just know that I am going to be the best teammate you will ever have," she declared. Ruby smiled brightly in response. "Good luck studying." She dropped out of view before coming back and saying, "That's wrong, by the way," and pointing at something in her book. Then she headed toward the door. She stopped before she could leave. "Hey, Ruby?"

"Uh huh?"

"I've always wanted bunk beds as a kid," she admitted, then closed the door. Ruby went back to her studying, grinning widely. The night rolled on quietly, everything now at peace with Team RWBBY.

* * *

 **And that's a wrap! It was tougher than I thought finishing this chapter, but I managed!**

 **I'm fairly certain I portrayed Bolt well enough here. Remember, he's never been to school before, so it's all new to him.**

 **I hope the whole argument scene thing was played out okay enough. I feel that might be an adequate enough reason for Weiss to be mad at Bolt.**

 **Also, as you can see, I added a sparring match in this chapter: Bolt vs. Cardin. When I watched the two episodes, I realized that when Teams RWBY and JNPR got to class, it was morning. Then after Weiss' fight and the argument between her and Ruby, it was sunset. Which meant either they spent the whole day in that class or that was the last class of the day and they skipped a whole bunch of other places they had to go. So naturally, I changed it up so that they had more than one class, and found somewhere to throw in that sparring match I had been planning for a while!**

 **Speaking of the fight, how did you guys like it? Was it good enough? I think it's pretty obvious that Cardin stands no chance against someone like Bolt in a fight, especially since Bolt is almost on par with Yang, who could definitely destroy Cardin in a fight. Even his whole team was no match against Pyrrha, who beat them all without taking a single blow.**

 **Now onto the reason why this chapter was so late. My time to use the computer has been DRASTICALLY reduced, mostly because I have to focus a lot of my time on my studies. It also doesn't help that I have to share the computer with two other people who also have their own stories they need to work on. So, updates will be coming by even slower. Sorry.**

 **In regards to my other story, I'm switching back over to it! The reason? I'm planning to write an original, non-canon chapter next, but I have no idea how to do it. So until I figure it out, I'll be working on The Fairy Tail Shapeshifter. For those of you who prefer this story more, again, I apologize. And don't worry, I'll update my profile when I get the chance.  
**

 **Now time to end the chapter with my story recommendations:**

 **Jaune Ryu-Long, the Dragon Contractor by azndrgn – In this fantastic fanfiction, Jaune has access to seven different dragons whose powers he can use! Features a more powerful Jaune, and it's terrific!**

 **World Class Skill by 0 Jordinio 0 – If anyone remembers that I recommended a story called Working The World With Skill, well, this is that story but remade. It starts earlier than the other one and is just as good, even if it does only have one chapter!**

 **The Bond Across Worlds by LawlDatBoi30 – This is an incredible fanfiction where Ash's Greninja ends up in Remnant as a human! He enrolls in Beacon after meeting Ozpin. Read to find out what else happens!**

 **That's it for now! Remember to favorite, follow, and review! I'll see you all over at The Fairy Tail Shapeshifter! Sparky D., out!**


	11. Adjusting to School

**Hey everyone! It's been a while, hasn't it? I've been pretty busy with The Fairy Tail Shapeshifter. Well, I'm here now with another (hopefully) exciting chapter of RWBBY – The Shapeshifter! Just so you all know, I went back to Chapter 5 to alter a couple of things. Nothing big, but you'll understand when you reread the chapter. First, time to answer the reviews from last chapter:**

 **MaskedRiderEnzo: No, none of the (Beacon) teachers are shapeshifters.**

 **Batthan the Dark Knight: Yep, he's gonna have a grudge all right… :)**

 **yukicrewger2: Huh, I never thought of that. Your suggestion gave me an idea, though I had to go back to change some things in Chapter 5 to make it work. Thanks, though! However, I have to ask that you contact me via PM if you have more ideas or suggestions for this story. That way, you can reserve your reviews for the story here, and you're more likely to get an answer quicker in case the updates take this long.**

 **Gizmo Gear: I'm glad to see you're enjoying my story! As for the pun, I've had that in the bank for a LONG time, but where do you think I got it from?**

 **Professor Writer: Thank you so much! I'll reveal that, yes, there will be other shapeshifters in this story, but I won't reveal when they'll appear or who they'll be. A legendary? Really? That sounds a bit extreme!**

 **It's okay to write a fanfiction about an idea you had even if someone else already wrote one like it. I've read about 3 or 4 fanfics with the same idea, but the people go about it in different ways. In fact, I came up with the idea of The Fairy Tail Shapeshifter before I read another awesome fanfiction, but that fanfic ended up inspiring me further! The problem would be if your story ended up being exactly like my story. Just be creative! It shouldn't be hard considering what I've read from your stories!**

 **Shadowdragon9802: Thank you! You really think so? I guess** _ **maybe**_ **I can try to slow it down a bit, but we'll see. As I said above, there will be other shapeshifters. Do you guys really want to see a legendary that badly? I had no plans of including a legendary in this story, but let's see how things go in Volume 6.**

 **Sorry, but Reality Checkers (yep, the original name is back) won't be written for a very long while. If you read the info, you'll see that I still don't have enough to start writing it, though that may change.**

 **Luckyshot8: Thanks! Don't worry, I won't stop working on this fanfiction even if I don't post chapters for a while, and I hope you like this one!**

 **Treefrogger: Ha ha, yeah, I know. Just go along with it; I just thought it would be funny!**

 **Now let's get on with the story!**

* * *

Chapter 11 – Adjusting to School

A week had passed since the official first day of school, after the students had formed teams. Though nothing eventful had happened since then, the relationship between the members of Team RWBBY had gotten better.

Weiss had started being nicer to her team, especially Ruby. She still chastised her partner whenever she said or did something the heiress didn't agree with (which was occasionally), but she was supportive and actually accepted helpful information the dark-haired girl had to offer.

Even Weiss' relationship with Bolt had improved. Whenever they spoke, she actually called him by his name, and she acknowledged the fact that he deserved to be a student at Beacon. She could see that whether or not he went to combat school, he could certainly hold his own in a fight. After all, his performances against the Death Stalker and the Nevermore, as well as his victory against Cardin, spoke volumes.

Of course, while Bolt's relationship with Weiss was better, things were… shaky, to say the least, with Blake. It wasn't anything obvious; he could make conversation with her when her attention wasn't otherwise occupied by a book. But sometimes, he could feel… unease that was directed toward him. It perplexed the shapeshifter, as he couldn't understand why.

As for school, Bolt adapted to it surprisingly well. Of course he didn't know much about anything that was taught since he had spent most of the last 7 years in a forest, but the blue-haired student was a quick learner, especially since he also had his friends to help him out.

It wasn't too surprising, however, that the class Bolt really excelled in was Combat Class. A month of training from a Huntsman and Huntress plus seven years of experience fighting Grimm in the Emerald Forest made him a force to be reckoned with. So far, the only student that had managed to defeat Bolt in Combat Class was Yang, and it hadn't been easy for her. She had beaten him, though, partly because she used her Semblance and partly because he didn't use his.

Bolt explained to his friends that he didn't want to use his Semblance in class because he didn't want the attention that he was sure to receive if he were to reveal it. After all, he got enough of it, what with him being added to an already formed team that was full of girls. Due to this, the other first-year students were unsure of what the newest student's Semblance was. Some speculated that he had a higher control over his aura, what with the way he could use moves like Force Palm and Endure, but only Teams RWBY and JNPR knew the truth.

Despite his refusal to use his Semblance in class, Bolt did use it while he was at Beacon. In the morning before classes began, and after he finished any homework he may have been assigned at the end of the day, the shapeshifter trained as Lucario, sometimes by himself and sometimes with Yang or Ruby. Weiss and Blake didn't join in, the former due to disinterest while the latter seemed too… weary, for some reason.

The shapeshifter learned some new moves as a result of his training. For example, once he was training with Ruby by racing against her in the Emerald Forest to increase his own speed. The two were weaving between trees, but even with the use of Quick Attack, Bolt couldn't beat her. However, during their last race, as Bolt was running with Quick Attack, the white glow surrounding his body seemed to get brighter and he became a blur, instantly passing his younger friend.

Ruby had skidded to a stop out of surprise, while the unexpected burst of speed caught Bolt off guard, so much that he ended up accidentally running into a tree. After recovering from the resulting daze, the two became excited upon realizing that the Lucario had learned a new move.

At another time, Bolt was training as Lucario in one of the training rooms at Beacon. He had been sparring with Yang, and he had been on the defensive. Bolt was trying to keep up with the blonde brawler and the flurry of punches she had been sending his way, when he abruptly found himself matching each of her blows with ease. The shapeshifter finished his barrage by finally managing to land a hit on his blonde friend, slugging her in the face and sending her skidding backward.

Bolt stopped and stared at his paws in wonder. He felt like he had just learned a new attack, but he also took note of the fact that his body felt a bit weaker. However, before he could relay any of this to Yang, the blonde brawler had returned the favor and punched him in the face. Bolt was sent crashing into a wall, knocked out and forced to revert to his human self. After Yang helped him up, Bolt told her that he may have learned a new move, and she cheered and hugged him in response, making him blush before returning her embrace.

Still, whether he was training, learning new things in class, or just hanging out with his friends, both old and new, Bolt found that he really enjoyed staying at Beacon.

* * *

It was currently Friday, and all of the first-year students were in their final class: Combat Class. All of the students sat in anticipation as they wondered who would get a chance to fight today.

Once everyone had settled down, Glynda began to speak, welcoming the class and talking for a bit before she got ready to pick the students who would spar. "First up, we have Lie Ren…" At the sound of his name being called, the black-haired teen with the magenta streak rose. "…and Sky Lark." The boy with bluish-gray hair stood up as well, and they headed down to the field.

Once the two boys made it down, they took their positions and locked eyes; Sky had a sneer on his face, befitting since he was a member of Cardin's team, while Ren stared ahead calmly. Then Glynda called for the match to begin.

The fight actually took less time than anyone expected. Despite Sky having a longer reach with his weapon, Ren was still able to bypass it and get in close to deliver many strikes, then fall back before Sky could recover. It didn't help him that Ren could also fire shots from a distance with his weapons while Sky's halberd could not. Without losing much aura, Ren defeated the armor-wearing teen.

After the fight ended, Glynda proceeded to assess the fight, complimenting the green-clad student and telling them both of their faults, though that was mostly directed toward Sky. Once both fighters returned to their seats, with Nora hugging Ren due to his victory, the professor prepared to call two new students for the next match.

"Alright, for the next match, we have… Pyrrha Nikos…" The redhead smiled and stood up as she waited for her opponent to be called. The person Glynda announced, however, was still a bit of a surprise. "…and Bolt Burns."

The student in question perked up at the sound of his name being called, and many of the students stared at him in shock. Some of them were looking at him with slight pity as they knew about her reputation when it came to fighting, Weiss included. They wondered how devastated he would be to learn that he would be facing her.

"I'm fighting again? Cool," he said simply, standing up and making his way down, much to the surprise of most of the other students, and prompting Pyrrha to do the same.

A few minutes later, the two prepared to fight as they slipped into fighting stances. Bolt had his weapon in staff form, while Pyrrha had her shield and javelin in hand. The rest of the first-year students watched anxiously, wondering who would come out as the victor.

"Begin!" Glynda shouted.

Immediately, Bolt and Pyrrha rushed at each other, their staff and spear colliding and causing a stalemate. After a few seconds, the redhead made the next move, pushing her shield forward to bash her opponent, but Bolt jumped back to avoid the blow. She followed up by changing her spear to its sniper rifle mode and firing a few shots, but those were swiftly deflected.

"Come on, Pyrrha, take him down!" Nora shouted happily.

"Go, Bolt! You can do this!" Ruby cheered.

The shapeshifter charged at Pyrrha again, and once he reached her, he began to swing his staff at her rapidly. The scarlet-haired warrior changed her rifle to its xiphos form and blocked each strike, occasionally using her shield to help aid her in defending. It wasn't until she noticed the blue light coming from his forearms that Pyrrha realized what he was planning.

Bolt swung his staff once more, coming in on the girl's left, and Pyrrha reflexively blocked it with her shield. However, this maneuver left her open for Bolt to aim his other arm at her torso, and before she could move her shield to block, he fired a white blast that knocked her onto her back.

Though she got back to her feet shortly after, most of the students were shocked that the blue-haired teen even managed to get a hit in, especially Weiss.

Bolt rushed toward his opponent, trying to keep his advantage. As he ran, he shifted his staff to its clawed gauntlet form, an action that surprised the students.

"Whoa, he's using those? The only other time Bolt has used those was when he fought that Russell guy from Team CRDL," Jaune stated.

"I wonder why he's using them now?" Ruby mused.

"Bolt told me that he likes to use his clawed gauntlets when he wants to focus on offense," Yang supplied as she watched the fight with a smile. "He said that he usually reserves them for Grimm since they're more lethal, but he's willing to use them against opponents with a good defense to attack with more force."

"Of course, it was a different reason with Russell," Blake said.

The blonde nodded. "That's right." Bolt had told his friends after his match that he had used his clawed gauntlets because Russell had been wielding two blades and he wanted to match that so that he wouldn't be at a disadvantage.

True to Yang's words, the shapeshifter was slowly pushing Pyrrha back, attacking her relentlessly. The armor-wielding girl was finding it a challenge to block his strikes with her shield and sword, and the occasional slash would get through her defenses, depleting her aura little by little. Oddly enough, though, she found herself enjoying the challenge, as Bolt reminded her of someone else she fought years ago at Sanctum Academy.

Luckily, she had something up her sleeve to help turn the tide. Her hand became enveloped in a subtle black aura.

Bolt could tell that he was overwhelming Pyrrha and figured that if he could continue whittling away at her aura, he could eventually take her down. However, as he reared his arm back and tried to slash her again, he abruptly found himself hitting the ground instead. He blinked in confusion, which lasted for a second before it was replaced with pain as the scarlet-haired warrior bashed him in the face with her shield.

The shapeshifter was knocked onto his back, but was quick to flip backward onto his feet. However, he was still mystified as to what happened. " _How did that happen? I know I was aiming for Pyrrha, so how did I end up hitting the ground?_ " He gazed at the redhead curiously. " _Did she do that?_ " Bolt wondered. His eyes narrowed. " _Only one way to find out!_ "

With that thought, he charged at Pyrrha once more, re-engaging in combat. Bolt continued to slash at her while she blocked his attacks. He tried to hit her again but found himself unexpectedly falling short of his opponent, ending up with his back to her.

Pyrrha grinned as she stopped using her Semblance and threw a kick at him, but the shapeshifter anticipated that and quickly used Endure to withstand the blow. Pyrrha's kick hit him in the back and sent him skidding away, but he remained on his feet.

" _That_ must _have been her. There's no way I'm just missing,_ " Bolt thought as he faced the redhead. " _Is she somehow taking control of my gauntlets?_ " He pondered on that for a few moments before Pyrrha charged at him, changing her xiphos back into its javelin form. " _Alright, let's try a different approach._ "

Bolt shifted his clawed gauntlets back into staff mode and rushed at Pyrrha; their weapons clashed again, the metal-on-metal collision making a loud clanging noise, before the two pulled back.

Pyrrha stabbed her weapon at Bolt's head twice before swinging it in an arc, but each blow was swiftly avoided. The blue-haired teen followed up by twirling his staff and knocking the javelin out of her hands, sending it spinning into the air.

With the armored girl disarmed, Bolt was quick to swing his staff into her side before she could block it with her shield, successfully knocking her to the ground. He tried to slam his weapon down on her while she was down, but this time Pyrrha managed to block it and rolled to her feet. Once she was up, Bolt swung his staff upward, catching his opponent in her chin.

Or he would have, if he didn't end up missing again.

Instead of hitting Pyrrha like he was aiming to do, Bolt ended up stumbling past her, missing her by an inch. His failed attempt left him off-balance, giving the redhead enough time to grab her javelin as it came back down and slash Bolt in his side, sending him to the ground once again.

Weiss huffed. "He may as well stay down. Even with all of his skills, he can't hope to defeat Pyrrha Nikos."

"Don't be so sure, Weiss," the blonde brawler retorted. "Bolt's not out of this yet. Just look at his face." Everyone gazed over at the shapeshifter and saw what Yang was talking about: instead of looking frustrated or disheartened at his inability to hit Pyrrha, Bolt had a smirk on his face. "That look means that he's discovered something crucial and has a plan to win."

"How do you know, Yang?" Ren inquired.

"We've sparred multiple times before. I can recognize that look from a mile away," Yang answered smugly.

On the arena, Pyrrha had also noticed Bolt's smirk, despite his panting state. She raised a brow and was about to question it when the shapeshifter suddenly slid his staff into its sheath, surprising the scarlet-haired warrior. (Try saying that five times fast!)

"Why did you put your weapon away? Are you giving up?" Pyrrha asked, a hint of disappointment in her voice. She was really enjoying this match, and she would hate for it to be cut short because her opponent was at a disadvantage.

However, Bolt's smirk didn't waver. "I don't back down from a fight, especially not one as entertaining as this," he responded, making Pyrrha smile. Then he went on. "I've just figured out your game, and now I know how to beat you!" Before Pyrrha could question his words, the blue-haired teen put his hands together and separated them. In his right hand was a glowing blue bone, much to the surprise of everyone watching, except for Yang.

"When did he learn how to do _that_?!" Jaune yelped.

The silver-eyed girl went starry-eyed at the sight. "So awesome!" she squealed.

Blake squinted, trying to get a good look at the glowing object. "Isn't that… the bone weapon that we saw him use as Lucario?"

"Yep! That's his **Bone Rush** attack!" the blonde stated proudly. "He pulled that surprise move on me when I disarmed him the last time we sparred. He told me that he had to train a lot to be able to use that in his human form. Bolt also mentioned that once he learned it, he was unable to use **Ice Punch** anymore."

Through her surprise, Pyrrha realized what he meant by his earlier statement. Bolt's glowing bone was made of aura and he had put his weapon away, which meant he must have figured out that she could manipulate metal. She grinned as she remembered only one other person she had fought who had managed to deduce that. With that thought in mind, she rushed forward while shifting her javelin to its xiphos form.

The shapeshifter met her halfway, blocking her strike before swiftly leaping back to dodge a bash from her shield. He blocked another strike from Pyrrha's sword, then twirled his weapon to the side, managing to deflect her right arm away. Taking the opportunity, he feinted a jab at her chest. Pyrrha moved to block the blow with her shield, which he had anticipated.

Bolt spun his bone, knocking the armored girl's shield arm to the side as well. Before Pyrrha could react, Bolt landed three jabs on her chest in rapid succession, sending her skidding back.

She recovered in time to barely intercept his next attack with her shield, then kicked him back while he was still close. The two continued to fight until the redhead landed a slash that cut Bolt's bone in two. She was about to follow up on that, but she was caught off guard when he abruptly spun around and slammed the bone in his right hand into her stomach.

Pyrrha stumbled but managed to lean back to evade a second blow aimed at her head. She stared in surprise as the blue-haired teen twirled the two smaller bones in his hands like batons.

Inwardly, though, Bolt was feeling a bit nervous. " _Here's hoping all of my training pays off,_ " he thought. He charged at the redhead for the umpteenth time and they resumed fighting. The two fighters continued to land hits on each other, slowly bringing their aura levels lower, while everyone spectated in awe.

Finally, Bolt and Pyrrha jumped back, both of them breathing heavily. They glanced at each other for a second as they caught their breath. Then they were off running, spinning their weapons. They swung them one last time, skidding to a stop with their backs to each other.

For a moment, no one moved. The two fighters remained standing while everyone on the sidelines watched with bated breath, waiting to see who the victor was.

Then Bolt and Pyrrha both dropped to their knees while a buzzer sounded, signaling the end of the match.

Glynda was quick to announce the result. "This match is a draw!" she stated, much to the astonishment of the students.

* * *

Now in the locker room, the two fighters who just finished their match had put their weapons away and were currently being swarmed by their friends. They had been approached earlier by some of the other students who had been left astounded, and now it was just the nine of them.

Nora was the first to break the silence. "That was the best fight I've ever seen!"

Ruby nodded vigorously in agreement. "Yeah, Bolt! It was even better than your spars with Yang!"

The blue-haired student smiled sheepishly. "Thanks. It was definitely one of the toughest fights I've been in," he said.

"The same goes for me," Pyrrha said, smiling as she thought back to the last time someone managed to push her in a fight.

Blake spoke up next. "How long have you been able to use **Bone Rush** while you were human?"

"Since a few days ago," Bolt answered. "Not only that, but I've also been working on wielding two at once to surprise my opponents, as you all saw. It's not perfect, but I think I've made progress."

"I'll say!" Yang stated in a chipper voice. "You sure surprised me! After all, you didn't pull that on me when we sparred a few days ago."

"I came up with the idea after that," the shapeshifter replied. Then he turned to the heiress. "What's got you so surprised, Weiss?"

The sudden question caught Weiss off guard, as did the fact that he could tell she was surprised, but she quickly recovered. "I'm still trying to process that you tied with Pyrrha."

"Well, Pyrrha's really strong!" Bolt turned to the redhead. "We should totally have another sparring match! So far, you're the second person I've fought at this school that I had to put actual effort into beating! Of course, Yang's the first." He shot a grin at his blonde friend, who smirked back. "I might even have to use my Semblance against you!"

Pyrrha was surprised that he would actually _want_ to fight her again. Typically, after she fought someone once, they wouldn't ask her for a rematch, but clearly Bolt was different from other people. She beamed as, once again, she couldn't help but think about the last time she had enjoyed a fight as much as enjoyed this one. "I think that sounds wonderful!" she responded.

The two teams conversed for a bit longer before finally getting ready to head back to their respective dorms. As they started to get up and leave, Yang noticed that Bolt was still sitting, looking spaced out. "What's up, B.B.? You coming or what?" she inquired.

Her question got his attention, and the blue-haired teen quickly focused on her with a smile. "Oh, I'm just gonna take a few moments to rest a bit. It _was_ quite a fight. Don't worry about me, I'll catch up soon."

The blonde raised a brow curiously, but shrugged in acceptance. She smiled back and waved. "Just don't take too long, B.B.," she said as she exited the locker room.

Once Yang had left the locker room, Bolt's smile vanished. He stood up and looked around before calling out, "Alright, you may as well come out now. I'm by myself."

At first, nothing happened, but a few seconds later, someone walked into Bolt's view a few feet in front of him. The person in question was none other than Cardin Winchester. He was still dressed in his combat gear but he had a smirk on his face as he carried his mace.

Bolt stared back, unamused. For the past week, he felt the anger and hatred that the taller teen directed his way, ever since he beat him in the sparring match. The shapeshifter didn't have a clue as to why and wondered if it was because of that fight.

Regardless, Bolt could sense him lurking in the locker room as if waiting for something and figured he should find out what his problem was. "So, what do you want?" he asked.

Cardin's face shifted into a scowl as he answered. "Oh, I'm thinking payback on an arrogant punk will suffice."

Bolt raised a brow. "Ooo…kay? Do you want me to help you find this arrogant punk, or…?"

Now rage crossed Cardin's features. "I'm talking about you!"

"Oooh…" Bolt said in realization. "Wait, what did I do to you?"

"You know what you did!" the brown-haired student yelled, only leaving Bolt more mystified. "Now you're gonna pay for humiliating me last week!"

"Last week… wait, are you talking about the sparring match? Is that what this is all about?" the blue-haired teen questioned. He had to admit, he was a little annoyed. "Because that was really no big deal. Especially not big enough to drag your entire team into."

The angry expression on Cardin's face was briefly replaced with shock, but then he chuckled darkly. "You think I dragged them into it? Well, that's where you're wrong. They've got their own bone to pick with you." As he spoke, the other members of Team CRDL stepped into view; Dove stood next to his leader while Russell and Sky stood behind the shapeshifter, leaving him surrounded. All three of them had their weapons with them.

True to Cardin's words, he wasn't the only one who resented Bolt. Three days after his match with Cardin, Bolt had been paired up to fight against Sky, and defeated him without any trouble. After that match, Russell challenged him and, despite the fact that Bolt had just finished fighting, was soundly defeated. Two days after that, the blue-haired student was set to take on Dove, and unsurprisingly ended up as the winner.

Bolt's eyes narrowed as he folded his arms. "Now I see the problem. None of you can handle losing," he remarked.

"Oh yeah?! Well, now you're about to see how it feels to lose!" Russell growled.

"Yeah! It's four against one, and you don't even have your weapon!" Sky jeered.

Dove nodded in agreement. "Not to mention, you must be feeling tired after your match with Pyrrha Nikos," he added.

The team leader smirked. "Face it, you twerp! We're the ones in control here!"

To their surprise, however, Bolt didn't seem nervous or worried. Instead, he just closed his eyes and let out a sigh before opening them and gazing at Cardin with a mix of disappointment and irritation on his face. "So you assume you can beat me just because I'm outnumbered and weaponless? And you say _I'm_ arrogant."

The smirk on Cardin's face was immediately replaced by a scowl. The brown-haired teen charged at the shorter student with his mace at the ready. "We'll see who's arrogant after I pound your face in!" he roared.

Despite his claim, Bolt still remained calm. He didn't move, aside from uncrossing his arms. "A few things you should know about me. First…" He ducked under Cardin's first swing before pivoting behind him as he attempted to slam his mace down on him. As the taller teen turned around to face Bolt, the latter swiftly slammed his elbow into Cardin's gut, causing him to gawk in pain as he was sent flying into a locker. "…I don't _need_ a weapon to kick your butts," the shapeshifter said.

Russell and Sky rushed toward him next as Bolt entered a fighting stance. Russell reached him first and began swinging his swords at his head, but Bolt easily evaded them. Sky stepped in next and tried to stab him with his halberd, but the shapeshifter sidestepped the attack.

Before Sky could pull his weapon back, Bolt grabbed the shaft with one hand and shoved it up and then left into Russell's wrists, disarming him of his blades when he tried to swing them again. Not giving either of them a chance to react, he released the weapon and slammed his palm into Russell's face, sending him stumbling back.

Sky was quick to pull his weapon back after that, and he began thrusting the head at the blue-haired teen; however, Bolt was too agile for him. He dodged and weaved around each strike until Sky aimed another blow at his head. Seeing an opportunity, Bolt ducked underneath it and grabbed the halberd with both hands and forced it backward, jabbing his opponent in the stomach three times. As Sky released his weapon and grasped his stomach in pain, Bolt twirled the halberd like he would his staff and slammed the head down on Sky's own head, rendering him unconscious.

With one of them down, the shapeshifter dropped the weapon and faced his next target: Russell. The teen in question still hadn't fully recovered from his earlier attack, and Bolt intended to capitalize on that.

He rushed toward the slightly dazed student while avoiding shots from Dove, who hadn't moved from his spot but was having a lot of trouble actually hitting Bolt. Jumping into the air to avoid one of the bullets, his right shoe glowed before it burst into flames; he swung it at Dove, sending a wave of fire that caused him to go sailing away when it hit while Bolt continued on his course.

Russell's head finally cleared, and the first thing he spotted was Bolt running toward him. With no time to retrieve his weapons, Russell tried to fight without them, which was his undoing. He threw a punch at Bolt, but the blue-haired teen easily evaded it by sidestepping to the right.

Pivoting, Bolt ended up behind Russell and swept his legs out from under him, making him hit the ground hard. Bolt swiftly followed up by punching Russell in the gut with all the force he could muster, effectively taking him out of the fight.

" _Two down,_ " Bolt thought as he set his sights on Dove next. The boy with light brown hair looked understandably nervous, seeing two of his teammates get taken out with ease, but he aimed his sword at him and resumed firing shots at him. Unfortunately for him, the blue-haired teen dodged them easily as he charged toward him.

Seeing as he wasn't hitting him, Dove stopped firing and readied his sword, waiting for Bolt to get closer. The shapeshifter narrowed his eyes at the action as he was almost within reach…

…and then he abruptly jumped up high, flipping backward – right over another swing from Cardin's mace.

Both boys' eyes widened in shock as Bolt landed behind the mace wielder, who couldn't react in time to get away. "Second…" Bolt said as he pressed his palm to Cardin's back, unleashing his Force Palm attack and sending the taller teen sailing into the floor face-first. "…sneak attacks don't work on me."

Cardin got up angrily and began swinging his mace at the shorter teen. Bolt avoided the first few swings before he started speaking again. "Third…" He jumped back and put his hands together as Cardin charged at him. He raised his weapon up high and brought it down on the teen.

He was caught off guard when it ended up colliding with a glowing bone instead.

Bolt glared at the brown-haired teen as he blocked his attack. "…I'm _never_ weaponless." Taking advantage of his stunned state, Bolt pushed forward, making Cardin stumble back a few steps. "Weren't you paying attention to my match with Pyrrha?"

Cardin growled at his remark before rushing back in. He attacked with his mace, but each swing was intercepted by Bolt's Bone Rush. However, with each clash, the shapeshifter seemed to get a little slower. After their most recent clash, Bolt appeared to be panting lightly, something Cardin was quick to pick up on.

The mace wielder smirked. " _Well, well. Looks like his exhaustion is finally starting to catch up to him,_ " he thought. Seeing a chance to finally deal some damage, Cardin brought his weapon back and swung it forward with all his strength at the seemingly tired teen.

However, in his haste to hit Bolt, he missed the glint that appeared in the blue-haired teen's eye.

As Cardin drew closer, Bolt swiftly moved to the side in a sudden burst of speed, causing Cardin to miss by a long shot. The taller teen was completely caught off guard by that, and unable to stop his momentum, his mace kept going… right until it smashed into Dove's face.

Being unable to shoot Bolt from a distance due to Cardin standing in between them, Dove opted to sneak up on Bolt from behind and attack while he was distracted. Unfortunately, not listening to Bolt's earlier words earned him a face full of mace that instantly knocked him out.

The team leader was so shocked that he failed to take into account Bolt standing behind him. "And finally…" he spoke, making Cardin whirl around; however, he was too late to avoid getting jabbed in the forehead by the shapeshifter's glowing bone. "…I can recover my energy at a faster rate than normal, so I don't stay tired for long," he finished.

Cardin growled as he glanced around, seeing that now his whole team had been defeated, leaving him by himself.

"And then there was one," Bolt said. He pointed his weapon at his opponent. "So, do you still believe that you're in control?"

"Shut up!" Cardin roared, rushing at the shorter teen. He unleashed a flurry of attacks that were either blocked or evaded. History repeated itself as, just like their sparring match, Bolt made his move when he observed that Cardin's movements were becoming sluggish due to fatigue.

The shapeshifter's onslaught started with a jab to the gut with his weapon, making Cardin momentarily freeze up in pain. He followed up by smacking him in the face, then swiping at his legs to put him off-balance. The brown-haired teen staggered backward, and Bolt took the opportunity to land several strikes on his chest and stomach, jabbing so quickly that his movements were a blur.

Once he was finished, he stepped back as Cardin doubled over, breathing heavily and unable to process the fact that he was losing _again_. "This can't… be happening… I can't lose… again," he wheezed, trying to stand up straight.

Bolt sighed pityingly. "You need to learn to accept your losses. I'll leave you to do that. After all, there's no need to keep Yang waiting any longer," he stated.

In another burst of speed, Bolt rushed at Cardin and swept his legs out from under him before he could blink. While the mace wielder was temporarily airborne, the blue-haired teen turned and, twirling his Bone Rush, slammed it down on the back of Cardin's head. The blow smashed him into the floor, where he lay unconscious.

Bolt sighed as he allowed his Bone Rush to dissipate now that the fight was over. He shot the unconscious leader one last glance before exiting the locker room. As Bolt started heading in the direction of his shared dorm room, he felt someone fall into step beside him.

"So how did it go?" Yang inquired with an expectant look on her face.

"I didn't have to put in much effort," the shapeshifter informed her. "Hopefully, now Cardin and his team will get off my back."

His blonde friend grinned. "I doubt it, but at the very least, they'll know not to mess with you." She laughed at his answering sigh.

Bolt looked back at her with a smile. "Thanks for waiting around for me."

Yang's grin became a soft smile as she placed a hand on his shoulder. "No problem, B.B. No problem."

* * *

It was now Sunday, and Bolt was at a training room in Beacon, preparing to do something else in terms of training: trying out his Technical Machines.

Yesterday had been uneventful; after Team RWBBY finished all of their homework, Ruby had suggested that they all head to Vale to have fun. Her teammates were fine with it, so they went to Vale, and once they made it there, Weiss and Blake split off from the team to do their own thing. The heiress went shopping for Dust while the black-haired girl took off for a bookstore.

The remaining three had initially stuck together as they walked around the city, mostly chatting and just enjoying the change in scenery. After a couple of hours, however, the youngest of the group ran off, claiming she wanted to find Weiss and hang out with her.

Bolt and Yang were slightly surprised at her sudden exit. The former had recovered first and, seeing that it was lunchtime, suggested that they get something to eat. Yang seemed a bit flustered but agreed. The pair found a café a few minutes later and they enjoyed a meal as they continued to talk.

Afterward, Yang led him around Vale, going to places where they continued to enjoy themselves. First they went to a clothing store, where the blonde bought a new outfit for her blue-haired friend, stating that he couldn't always wear the same clothes when he questioned her about her action.

Next, the duo went to a gym. As odd as it sounded, one of the things they had the most fun doing was sparring with each other. They had 3 spars, the results being 2-1 in Yang's favor, much to Bolt's chagrin. The two argued playfully about the outcome, with Bolt stating that he would have won for sure if he used his Semblance (which he wouldn't do in a place as public as this, while Yang had no such reservations) and Yang retorting that she would have beaten him either way. Eventually, the pair left the gym, promising to have a rematch once they returned to Beacon.

Their last stop turned out to be an arcade. Upon learning that Bolt had never been to one before, Yang had practically dragged him to one that she and Ruby went to often when they were younger. Along the way, they ran into Ruby, and she decided to tag along when she found out where they were going.

The trio entered the building, where Bolt's ears were immediately assaulted by the loud sounds coming from the games and the people playing them. The blue-haired teen reflexively covered his ears while the sisters watched in amusement. Once Bolt had, more or less, adjusted to the noise, the three went to find a game to play.

In the end, Ruby and Yang discovered that their blue-haired friend was surprisingly good at video games. If he did poorly at first, then he was quick to adapt the next time he played. The three of them had a lot of fun for the next couple of hours before the team leader decided it was time to head back to Beacon. Ruby called her partner via Scroll to let her know while Yang did the same for Blake, and once the five of them were all together, they boarded an airship that took them back to Beacon.

Well, Bolt thought to himself, it hadn't been totally uneventful. He really enjoyed his time alone with Yang, and he could tell that the blonde brawler had, too. The blue-haired shapeshifter contemplated asking Yang to hang out and have fun like they did yesterday sometime in the future, as it had been the most fun he'd ever had in a long while.

He shared this thought with Ruby when the silver-eyed girl had asked him what they did in her absence. In response, she had giggled and said something about making it an official date, something which left him confounded, but he decided not to think on it too hard.

Yang and Ruby were currently with him in the training room, both to provide assistance if needed and to see how Bolt's new moves would look.

"Ready, Bolt?" the shorter girl questioned.

The aforementioned teen smiled at the sisters before activating his Semblance; in a few seconds, he was Lucario. " **Okay, I'm ready. Give me the first one,** " he said.

Yang complied, picking up the light brown disc and placing it on his head. She pushed the button, and this time, there was a difference between now and when he had tried to use one as Riolu.

The TM glowed brightly as the information on the attack was transferred into Bolt's head; once it was done, the light died down, showing that the TM was now a dull gray. Lucario seemed to be in a daze as he processed the info, though he snapped out of it when he heard Ruby talk.

"Did it work?" she wondered.

"Only one way to find out," the blonde replied, inspecting the dull disc. "Bolt, see if you can use… ' **Earthquake** ,' it says it's called."

Lucario nodded, then closed his eyes. His body glowed as a white aura surrounded it. Bolt opened his eyes and slammed his fist into the ground.

The result was a massive tremor with intense shockwaves that knocked both girls off their feet. Even outside, anyone close to the room could feel a slight shaking.

The Earthquake lasted a few seconds before dying down, and the sisters stood up, staring at Lucario with awe. Bolt himself seemed surprised at the power that the move had.

Finally, Yang broke the silence. "That was AWESOME, B.B.!" she exclaimed.

The blonde's sister nodded. "Yeah! That attack was really strong!"

Bolt smiled at their reactions. " **That was quite impressive, wasn't it?** " Then his expression became thoughtful. " **Although, I should be careful with that move. It seems just as capable of hurting my friends as well as my opponents.** "

"Yeah, yeah, now let's see the rest of the TMs!" Ruby said, bouncing up and down like an excited little kid, which wasn't too far off from the truth. She gestured to her sister. "Yang, give him the next one!"

"Okay Ruby, calm down." And just like that, within the next few minutes, Lucario had gained the knowledge from his remaining TMs. He decided to do them all at once instead of one by one so that he could show them all off quicker.

Once that was done, Yang went to the controls for the room, which was a tablet on the wall near the door. She pushed a few buttons and a few training dummies popped out of the floor.

Ruby was still shaking, trying to contain her excitement. "Okay Bolt, time to try another TM!" she stated, having looked at the discs so she would know the names of his attacks in advance. "Use **Shadow Ball!** "

The shapeshifter sweatdropped. " **You don't have to give me commands, you know…** " Nevertheless, he closed his eyes in concentration. He put his paws together, and a black orb of ghostly energy formed in between them. Lucario launched the sphere at one of the targets, consuming it in an explosion.

The youngest of the group became starry-eyed. "Now use **Psychic!** "

Bolt sighed but didn't bother chiding the girl. Instead, his eyes glowed light blue and he held his arms out in front of himself. Waves of psychic energy were sent out as a result; when they reached the targets, the dummies were lifted into the air. Bolt motioned his arms down, and the dummies were slammed into the ground.

"Alright Bolt, try **Rock Tomb** next!" This time, the command came from the blonde brawler.

Lucario gazed at her with a raised brow and a deadpan expression, a look that said "Really?" before he followed through with the order. His body was encompassed in a white outline, and then large rocks materialized in the air, much to the girls' surprise. The shapeshifter launched the rocks at one of the dummies, kicking up a lot of dust. When it cleared away, the three of them observed that the target was now surrounded by rocks.

"Now for the last one! Use **Flash Cannon!** " Yang commanded.

Bolt complied, his body outlined in light once more, though the light was silver this time. Putting his paws near each other again, light gathered in between them. He thrust his arms forward, firing a blistering beam of silver and blue energy at the last target. It was swallowed up in an explosion.

Lucario let out a breath. " **Alright, that's the last of them.** "

"That was so amazing!" Ruby exclaimed. "Your new attacks are so powerful!"

"Not to mention versatile," Yang added. "With your current moveset, these TM moves will only add to your diversity."

Bolt beamed. " **You've got that right. With these new attacks, I'll only continue to get stronger. But right now…** " He faced Yang and entered a fighting stance. " **…I believe you owe me a rematch, Yang,** " he finished, his smile becoming a challenging grin.

The blonde grinned back in response, stepping forward and activating her Ember Celica. "Oh, you're on, B.B.! You're so going down!" The two prepared to fight, while their silver-eyed leader spectated from the sidelines, eager to see another sparring match between the two.

* * *

 **And done! Finally, I've finished this chapter! Seriously, you would not believe how tough it was to write this chapter! Some of the things in this chapter were thought out ahead of time, while others were a spur-of-the-moment, like Bolt and Yang's impromptu unofficial date. The ending is probably a bit abrupt, but I honestly had nothing else to write.**

 **But hooray, because now we can move on back to the canon storyline! While this chapter was a pain to write, the next couple shouldn't take as long. I've already started Chapter 12!**

 **And now, I must apologize to all of you. I am deeply sorry that I haven't updated anything in almost four months, or almost a year for this story in particular. Once again, I have a lot less time to use the computer, and I've recently been busier than usual with school. So busy, in fact, that I wasn't even able to run this chapter through Grammarly, so I apologize if there are any mistakes.**

 **Now about the chapter; I hope you all enjoyed the fights! I worked really hard on the Bolt vs. Pyrrha sparring match; it's actually what took up most of my time writing this chapter. I also really wanted to do Bolt vs. Team CRDL, so I'm glad I managed that!**

 **Now you all know what Bolt's 5 TMs were! Like I said in a previous chapter, they're meant to add diversity to his moveset!**

 **How did I do with the unofficial date between Yang and Bolt? Was it good enough for you guys? I hope so, 'cause I'm not certain of myself in that area.**

 **I've updated my profile again; go check it out!**

 **Well, I've run out of things to say, so it's time for my story recommendations:**

 **All of the following stories are by the same author, MyNoseAgreesWithMe, and make up a trilogy.**

 **Just Another Tuesday – A Pokemon/Sword Art Online crossover where Ash and Serena get stuck in the death game of SAO. Features Ash and Serena with special abilities as well as Amourshipping!**

 **Something to Do On the Weekend – Sequel to Just Another Tuesday, where Ash and Serena head into the world of ALO to help Kirito and Yui rescue Asuna.**

 **A Swordsman's Holiday – Final story of the trilogy, where Kazuto gets sent to the world of Pokemon to watch Ash perform in the Kalos League. Features completely different events than what happened in canon!**

 **Well, that's it for now. Remember to favorite, follow, and review! I can't believe this story has over 14,000 views! You guys are the best! Sparky D., out!**


	12. Dealing With The Bully

**S'up, people? I'm back again with a new chapter! You guys really seemed to enjoy the non-canon chapter; don't worry, I have one or two more planned out! It'll be toward the end of Volume 1, though.**

 **Alright, let's answer last chapter's reviews:**

 **Gizmo Gear: Yep! Pretty sure everyone knew that was gonna happen.**

 **Hmmm… I'm guessing you're referring to Undertale? If so, then I gotta tell you, I've never even watched or read that series before. The only reason I even know about it is because I watch One Minute Melee. Speaking of which, read the bottom A/N (but after the chapter)!**

 **csshadow349: Thanks! Sorry to make you wait so long. I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

 **Professor Writer: Thank you! I'm glad you liked the sparring match! Truth be told, I was torn between having it end in a draw or having Pyrrha win, but I eventually settled on a draw. I think it showed how persistent Bolt was, as well as how good he is at observing his opponent in a fight.**

 **I'm pleased you enjoyed the thrashing Bolt gave Team CRDL! They know they can't beat him in a fight now! Of course, that doesn't mean they're ready to give up trying to get back at him yet!**

 **It's good to see you liked the scene with Bolt learning his TMs! Yeah, I thought it would be amusing if I added Yang and Ruby giving Bolt commands as if he were their pokemon! To be honest, I only know two RWBY/Pokemon crossovers where RWBY characters become trainers, and I've already recommended those (Chapters 8 and 9).**

 **I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

 **Amewolfsky: Pretty sure you've seen the answer to that question!**

 **Okay, now it's time for Chapter 12!**

* * *

Chapter 12 – Dealing With The Bully

It had now been a month since Bolt and Pyrrha's sparring match, and all of the first-year students were once again in Combat Class. A match was currently taking place, this one being Jaune vs. Cardin.

The fight was, unfortunately, not going in Jaune's favor.

The blond was currently leaning against his sword, breathing heavily. Conversely, Cardin stood up straight a few feet away, not even winded. The brown-haired teen laughed mockingly at his opponent's pitiful state.

Angrily, Jaune charged at Cardin and swung his sword downward, but the taller teen easily sidestepped the attack and swung his mace in response. Jaune barely managed to bring his shield up to block the blow, and he was still sent flying back, losing his shield in the process.

Struggling to his feet, Jaune gripped his sword with both hands and swung it down from above, only for Cardin to block it with the shaft of his weapon. The mace wielder smirked confidently.

Inwardly, however, Cardin couldn't help but feel relieved, not that he would admit it out loud. Jaune was the first student he had been paired to fight against that he actually had a chance of beating. After his humiliating loss to Bolt, the next time he had been picked to fight, his opponent had been Nora. Cardin overestimated his chances against her, thinking he could beat her in a battle of strength. This line of thinking cost him the match, as he learned that, despite her size, Nora was a lot stronger than she looked.

After that, he was chosen to spar against Ruby, and this time he was sure he could win. After all, the girl was even smaller than Nora, and she was younger than everyone else in the school. Cardin figured that if he could defeat her, he would be indirectly getting his revenge on Bolt, since he knew that the blue-haired teen was close to the team leader.

However, his hopes for getting payback were dashed when the fight began. The little girl's speed made it a challenge to keep track of her, let alone hit her. In addition, Ruby was deceptively strong, what with the way she was able to easily wield Crescent Rose; she was as strong as, if not stronger than, Nora, something Cardin found out firsthand. And so, just like his match against Bolt, the mace wielder was soundly defeated without landing a hit on his opponent.

Now was his fight with Jaune. Cardin could see how bad the blond was at fighting, and that made him realize that he could finally win a match. He pressed down on Jaune with his superior strength, saying, "This is the part where you lose."

"Over my dead—" Jaune started to say before he was abruptly cut off by Cardin kneeing him in the gut. Gasping in pain, the blond team leader dropped his sword and fell over, grasping his stomach. He could only stare helplessly as the brown-haired teen raised his mace up, preparing to deliver the final blow.

Fortunately for the blond swordsman, a buzzer sounded as the lights came back on and Glynda's voice rang out, making Cardin freeze in mid-swing.

"Alright, that's enough," the teacher called, stepping forward. Reluctantly, Cardin backed off while Jaune sat up. "As you can see, students, Mr. Arc's aura has fallen into the red zone. In a tournament-style duel, this would indicate that Jaune can no longer keep fighting, and the official may call the match."

Glynda turned to Jaune. "Mr. Arc, it's been weeks now. Please try to refer to your Scroll during combat." As she spoke, the blond pulled out his Scroll and took a look at it. It showed the aura levels for him and his team; his teammates' were all full and green while his was red and close to empty.

"Gauging your aura will help you decide when it is the right time to attack, or if it would be better to switch to a more… defensive strategy. We wouldn't want you to be devoured by a Beowolf, now would we?" she finished.

"Speak for yourself," Cardin scoffed, hefting his mace over his shoulder and walking off the stage.

Glynda faced her class again. "Remember, everyone! The Vytal Festival is only a few months away! It won't be long before students from other kingdoms start arriving in Vale, so keep practicing. Those who choose to take part in the combat tournament will be representing all of Vale."

The Team RWBBY members all had different reactions to her announcement. Blake carried her usual look of indifference, though there was a hint of a smile on her face, Yang and Ruby were ecstatic, Weiss looked excited but quickly composed herself, and Bolt just looked confused, as he had no idea what that was.

As the bell rang to signal that class had ended and Team RWBBY stood up to leave, the shapeshifter's eyes strayed over to Pyrrha, who was staring worriedly at her partner, and then Jaune, who looked completely dejected.

* * *

"So there we were, in the middle of the night…"

"It was day."

"…we were surrounded by Ursai…"

"They were Beowolves."

"…dozens of them!"

"Two of them."

Teams RWBBY and JNPR were now in the cafeteria, eating lunch. Nora was telling everyone about the time she and Ren took down hordes of Grimm single-handedly, with Ren chiming in to correct parts of her story.

However, Yang was the only one captivated by her tale. Blake was reading a book, Weiss was filing her nails, Jaune was sadly moving food around on his tray, and Ruby, Bolt, and Pyrrha were too distracted by Jaune's downcast mood to pay attention.

"But they didn't stand a chance! Ren and I took them down, and then we made a boatload of Lien selling Ursa-skin rugs!" the orange-haired teen finished with a bright smile on her face.

"She's been having this recurring dream for almost a month now," Ren explained.

Finally, Pyrrha spoke up. "Jaune, are you okay?"

The blond was so out of it that he didn't answer for a few seconds. "What? Oh, I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

"It's just that you seem a little… _not_ okay," Ruby said.

"Like, really depressed," her blue-haired friend added.

Jaune noticed that the rest of the two teams now had their attention focused on him. "Guys, I'm fine!" he tried to assure them. "Look!" He gave them a thumbs up and a shaky smile, along with a nervous laugh that fooled no one.

A different set of laughter got their attention, and everyone saw Cardin and his team picking on a girl with rabbit ears.

"Cardin has been harassing you since the second week of school," Bolt stated. "You know, after he finally decided to leave me alone."

"Who? Cardin _Winchester_? Nah, the guy just likes to play around," Jaune refuted. "Just practical jokes."

"He's a bully," the silver-eyed girl said bluntly, narrowing her eyes.

"Oh, please. Name one time he's 'bullied' me."

"Well, he's constantly knocking your books out of your hands," his male teammate said.

His fellow team leader spoke up next. "Sometimes, he activates your sheath when you enter a room, making it expand so you'll get stuck in the doorway."

"And did you forget what happened with the rocket lockers a few weeks ago?" the blue-haired teen asked rhetorically.

* * *

 _Flashback—_

 _Several first years were in the locker room, getting instructions from Glynda on how to operate the lockers. "Each of you will be assigned one rocket-propelled locker to store your weapons and extra armor," she explained. "Additionally, your locker can be sent to a custom location based on a six-digit code."_

 _After hearing that, Cardin smirked evilly as he eyed Jaune and the open locker next to him. Quickly, he lunged at Jaune with his arms outstretched, intending to push him in._

 _Unfortunately for the brown-haired student, Bolt was standing in front of Jaune and had sensed Cardin's malicious intentions. He reached back without looking and grabbed the blond's wrist a second before Cardin's lunge. Bolt pulled the startled teen forward while Cardin's momentum carried him into the locker._

 _Before he could react, the shapeshifter swiftly kicked the door shut. He stood in front of it, gazing at the keypad curiously. "How did she say it worked?" he pondered. Bolt typed six numbers into the keypad, ignoring the angry protests from within, and suddenly, the locker flew upward, leaving behind a small cloud of smoke._

" _Whoa! That was pretty cool!" Bolt laughed. Then he noticed Jaune was staring at him with a mixture of shock and awe and patted him on the shoulder. "You're welcome," he said, facing the teacher while Jaune just continued to stare at him._

 _Flashback end_

* * *

"You should count yourself lucky that I was standing right there. Who knows where you might have ended up!" the blue-haired teen said.

"I only asked for one time…" Jaune mumbled, depression starting to set in again.

"Jaune, we're your friends. You know you can ask us for help if you need it," the redhead told him.

Nora stood up abruptly. "Ooh, I know! We'll break his legs!"

The shapeshifter shot her an odd look. "That sounds a bit extreme, Nora." Then his expression matched hers. "I like it!"

"No, Nora," Ren spoke up.

"Bolt!" his leader chided him.

"What? He has aura, so his legs would heal… eventually." Ruby shot him a disapproving glare, making him look away with a pout. "Alright, fine."

"Seriously, guys, I'm fine!" the blond said, standing up with his tray. "Besides, I'm not the only person he's a jerk to. He's a jerk to everybody."

As if to prove Jaune's point, a cry was heard from Cardin's table. "Ow, that hurts!" the Faunus girl he was hassling cried. The reason for this was because the brown-haired team leader currently had one of her rabbit ears in his grasp and was yanking on it.

However, all her complaint did was make Cardin and his team laugh louder. "I told you they were real!" the leader crowed.

"What a freak!" Russell remarked.

The two teams watched the scene with disgust. "Atrocious! People like him make me sick," Pyrrha growled.

"That makes two of us," Blake stated, her eyes narrowing dangerously.

"It must be hard to be a Faunus," the blonde mused. "I guess it's fortunate that you're not one, huh, B.B.?" She turned to her blue-haired friend, but to her surprise, he wasn't sitting next to her anymore. "Hey, where'd Bolt go?"

Cardin chortled as he pulled harder on the rabbit ear, eliciting another cry of anguish from the girl. "Please stop," she pleaded.

The mace wielder smirked and opened his mouth to retort when a hand suddenly gripped his wrist like a vise. Cardin winced before he faced the person responsible.

The person was none other than Bolt, and he didn't look too pleased. "Let go of her," he said.

Cardin gritted his teeth while the Faunus gazed at him in surprise. "How about you go mind your own business?!" the former stated.

The shapeshifter's eyes narrowed as his grip tightened slightly. "I will, once you leave this girl alone."

"Why do you care?!" the taller teen demanded. "She's a freak!"

At that, Bolt examined the rabbit Faunus, and she figured this would be the point where the blue-haired student would take Cardin's side. After all, she could count the number of humans who had stood up for her on one hand.

However, Bolt's next words left her stunned. "Sorry, don't see it."

Cardin gaped at him disbelievingly. "What do you mean, you don't see it?! She's got rabbit ears on the top of her head!"

Bolt shrugged. "So what? I think it's kinda cool. I bet she can hear a lot better than a normal person." His eyes narrowed once more. "After all, I'm pretty sure _she_ heard me when I said to let. _Go_." At his last word, his grip on Cardin's wrist got even tighter. Cardin finally released the girl's ear as pain flared across his face.

Bolt kept his gaze on the bully for a few seconds longer. "I better not see something like this again, or the result will be worse than what happened a month ago," he said.

Cardin glowered at him, but he didn't respond as he massaged his wrist. Instead, he opted to leave the cafeteria; his team was quick to follow him to avoid being on the receiving end of Bolt's glare.

With that problem dealt with, Bolt turned to the Faunus, his irritation changing to concern. "Are you alright now?" he asked.

"Y-Yes, I'm okay…" she replied hesitantly. She glanced at her savior; more specifically at his face. "A-Are you a…?" she trailed off, pointing at her left cheek.

Bolt was a little puzzled, but quickly realized what she was asking. He smiled slightly. "No, I'm not a Faunus. These are just scars."

"You're human?" she inquired with surprise. When he nodded, she asked, "T-Then why did you stand up for me?"

Bolt's brow furrowed. "Uh, because you looked like you needed help? Also, Cardin's a huge jerk, and he really gets on my nerves." He tilted his head. "What's your name?"

"My name's Velvet," the rabbit Faunus said.

"I'm Bolt!" the shapeshifter introduced himself. "Where's the rest of your team?"

"They're back at our dorm room," Velvet answered. "I was actually about to head back myself before…" She looked uncertain.

It wasn't hard to figure out what she was trying to say. Bolt smiled at her reassuringly. "Don't worry. I highly doubt they'll try anything. They try not to show it, but they're actually pretty scared of me after what happened last month. Go ahead and meet up with your team; they're probably worried about you."

Velvet stared at him, astounded, before she smiled timidly. "R-Right. Thanks for your help, Bolt!" she said, walking toward the exit.

Bolt grinned back. "No problem!" The blue-haired teen headed back to his table; upon reaching it, he blinked at the looks he was receiving from his friends. "What?" he inquired as he sat down.

"That was awesome how you handled Cardin!" the orange-haired girl exclaimed before she frowned. "I just wish you could have broken his legs."

Bolt sighed with mock disappointment. "You and me both, Nora," he said, snickering at the look he was getting from his team leader. Bolt blinked again when he sensed that Yang was feeling perturbed. He was about to question her about it, but the black-haired girl spoke up.

"Bolt, why did you go help that Faunus girl?" she asked inquisitively.

Bolt raised a brow, wondering why she was curious about that before he answered her question. "Well, Cardin may say otherwise, but she _is_ a person. Just because she has animal ears on top of her head, it doesn't change that fact."

Blake seemed surprised at his answer, though she hid it well. "I see," she muttered.

"Besides," he added, "I think Faunus are pretty cool. They have heightened senses, so it's kind of like having an extra superpower that normal people don't have."

The monochromatic girl stared at him, her eyes slightly wide, before her expression changed back to what it normally was. "Okay," she said, going back to reading her book. If one were to look closer, though, they would have noticed the small smile on her face.

Bolt stared at her for a moment longer, wondering why she was so happy, before Yang placed her elbow on his shoulder, leaning on him. She no longer felt upset, so the shapeshifter decided not to ask.

"Congratulations, B.B.! You gained quite a bit of attention with your actions!" the blonde brawler teased.

Bolt looked around and noticed for the first time that a decent number of stares were being sent his way. He had no doubt the other students were whispering about him, too. Bolt sighed; he was already something of an enigma, with his fighting skills and unknown Semblance, and he knew this incident would only make him stand out more.

His gaze slid over to Blake again. " _Hmm, I wonder…_ "

* * *

A week had passed since that incident in the cafeteria, and Bolt continued to keep tabs on Jaune. He noticed that the blond seemed to get more and more depressed as the days went by.

It wasn't just him; the blue-haired teen also noticed that Pyrrha seemed sad about something, too. He wondered what could've happened to make them both feel this way.

Most confusing of all, however, would have to be the sudden "friendship" between Jaune and Cardin. There was no way it could be genuine; Bolt had seen the way the brown-haired teen treated Jaune the past few weeks. In addition, Cardin seemed oddly smug, while the blond seemed uncomfortable, as if he didn't want to be around the taller teen but had no choice.

The shapeshifter reported all of this to his team leader as the two exited Professor Port's classroom with the rest of their team. "I didn't think it was possible, but he's even _more_ miserable than he was last week. It must be pretty serious."

Ruby nodded in agreement. "Yeah, you're right, Bolt. If this goes on, it might end up tearing Team JNPR apart."

"So what should be done?" Yang asked.

Ruby hummed. "Well, I guess we should first—"

"Hey, Bolt!" a familiar voice called out.

Team RWBBY stopped and looked in the direction of the voice, and Bolt smiled when he recognized the owner. "Oh, hi Velvet," he said as she approached with three other students behind her. "What's up?"

Velvet smiled. "Nothing, really. I just saw you with your friends and wanted to introduce you to my team!" She gestured to the other girl, who had pale skin like her, sunglasses, and brown hair, with a curl that went past her face that was a lighter shade of brown. "This is my partner and our team leader, Coco."

She moved on to the boy with dark skin, auburn hair, and blank white eyes. "That's Fox. He's a bit on the quiet side." The Faunus pointed to the final boy, a tall teen with skin lighter than the first's and black hair and eyes. "That's Yatsuhashi. He may look intimidating, but he's actually quite gentle." Velvet beamed at the first-year students. "Together, we're the second-year team, Team CFVY!"

Bolt grinned in response. "Nice to meet you, Team CFVY!"

Their leader, Coco, stepped forward until she was in front of the blue-haired student. She lowered her sunglasses slightly, revealing her brown irises as she peered down at Bolt. "So you're the kid who helped our teammate?" she questioned.

"Uh, yeah…?"

Coco backed up and smiled at him. "Well then, I have to say thank you. Thanks for going out of your way to help our friend. Unfortunately, we're not always around to protect her from racists, so it pleases me that someone was there for her in our place." Behind her, Fox and Yatsuhashi nodded with smiles on their faces.

Bolt rubbed the back of his head bashfully. "Well, it wasn't really a big deal…"

Coco smirked at his response. "Modest, huh? I like that." The comment went over Bolt's head, though a small frown made its way onto Yang's face for a moment. "So, how about you introduce your team?" she suggested.

"Oh, right!" Bolt pointed to each of his friends as he introduced them. "That's Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang! Together, we make up Team RWBBY, and we're in our first year!"

As the four girls gave their individual greetings, Yatsuhashi raised a brow. "A five-person team?" he said.

"Bolt here is kind of an exception," Yang explained, leaning her elbow on his shoulder as she grinned. "He got accepted into Beacon a different way."

"I see," the brown-haired leader replied. "Well, it was nice meeting you five. Let's go, guys." The second-year students started walking away when Coco suddenly stopped. "Hey, you first-years are supposed to be taking a field trip to Forever Fall tomorrow, right?"

"That's right," the heiress confirmed.

"Then I suppose you should know about the rumor."

"A rumor?" Blake repeated.

Velvet nodded, catching on to what her partner was talking about. "Yeah, that's right. A few years ago, two guys were walking through that very forest when they saw a strange-looking Grimm."

"What's so weird about that?" the shapeshifter inquired.

"Well, one of the guys said that when he moved closer to get a better look, it noticed him and he got scared. However, instead of going to attack him, it fled," the Faunus continued.

"So he saw something that looked like a Grimm but didn't act like one?" Yang stated.

Yatsuhashi nodded as he took over. "That's not all. After the Grimm ran away, the two followed after it and claimed that they saw a red light, and then a minute later, a bird was flying away from the spot."

Ruby's eyes widened. "You mean there could be a new type of Grimm capable of changing its form?" she asked.

"As we said, it's just a rumor," the glasses-wearing teen said with a shrug. "No one's ever seen a trace of anything like that since then. We told you guys because we wanted to let you know to be careful in the forest. Have fun on your trip!" And with that, Team CFVY walked off, leaving the first-year team by themselves.

"You guys think the rumor could be true?" the blonde wondered.

"It's possible, but it sounds like we don't really have anything to worry about," the black-haired girl reasoned. "It hasn't been seen in years, so odds are we probably won't see it tomorrow."

"Blake's right!" Ruby chirped. "Besides, even if we did see it, I'm sure the five of us could handle it! Now, what were we discussing before…?"

"We were trying to decide on what to do about Jaune's bully problem," Bolt reminded her. "Why don't you try talking to him, Ruby? You told me he was the first friend you made at Beacon and vice versa, and maybe he'll listen to a fellow team leader."

"Great idea, Bolt! I'll talk to him tonight," the silver-eyed girl said. "Alright, Team RWBBY, let's go get ready for tomorrow's trip!" The five students headed to their dorm room to prepare.

* * *

The next day had finally come, and the first-year students were currently at Forever Fall. They consisted of Teams RWBBY, JNPR, and CRDL, and Professor Goodwitch was their supervisor.

It was certainly a sight to behold. There were trees with blood red leaves all around. Red was everywhere as far as the eye could see.

"Yes, students. The forest of Forever Fall is indeed beautiful, but we are not here to sightsee," Glynda spoke as the students gazed around in awe. "Professor Peach has assigned each of you to collect a sample from the trees deep inside this forest, and _I_ am here to make sure that none of you die while doing so."

Bolt frowned as he moved closer to Yang. "I still don't understand why Professor Peach couldn't come here herself," he whispered.

The blonde shrugged. "I guess she had something pretty important to take care of," she replied.

Glynda stopped and faced the students. "Each of you is to gather one jar's worth of red sap," she instructed, holding up a jar for emphasis. "But be cautious, as this forest is crawling with Grimm. Therefore, it's important that everyone remains with their teammates. We'll rendezvous back here at 4 o'clock. Have fun!" On that note, the professor treaded off to do her own thing.

Jaune tried to walk over to his team, but Cardin grabbed his shoulder before he could leave. "Come on, buddy! Let's go," the mace wielder said with a smirk.

The blond looked utterly forlorn as he glanced over at his team, making eye contact with his partner. Jaune wanted nothing more than to reunite with her and his teammates, but he had to keep doing what Cardin said in order to protect his secret. With a heavy heart, he averted his eyes and followed after Team CRDL; Pyrrha sighed and moved to catch up to Ren and Nora.

With RWBBY, Yang and Bolt were collecting their jars of sap together. "So, how are you enjoying your first field trip, B.B.?" the former inquired.

The shapeshifter beamed in response. "It's incredible!" he answered. "This place is amazing! It's a nice change of scenery from the Emerald Forest."

Yang smiled at his enthusiasm. She liked seeing her blue-haired friend like this. "Well, I'm glad to see you're enjoying yourself."

Bolt smiled widely at her, and she couldn't help but look away, a slight blush on her face. Whenever he smiled at her like that, when it was less of a challenging smirk and more pure, it always made her heart flutter.

As she looked away, Bolt glanced over to the rest of their teammates. Ruby, Weiss, and Blake appeared to be finishing up, just as they were. As the three of them regrouped, Bolt locked eyes with the youngest girl. She seemed to be asking a question silently, to which the blue-haired teen tilted his head slightly before nodding. Ruby smiled and nodded back before focusing on her partner again.

Bolt, on the other hand, looked over to where NPR was collecting their sap. Pyrrha was in the process of filling her jar while Ren was doing his and Nora's.

Bolt frowned; he could sense Team CRDL and Jaune were deeper in the forest, but he had no clue what they could be doing. He suspected the former was up to something but didn't know what, so he decided to wait until they came closer.

* * *

Meanwhile, Team CRDL was lounging around, doing nothing while Jaune collected the sap for them. Once the blond finished, he walked over to where the all-male team rested, dropped the seven jars in his arms to the ground, and collapsed himself.

"Hey! Great work, Jauney boy! Now that wasn't too hard, was it?" Cardin said.

"I dink I'm allergic to dis stuff," Jaune replied, his voice nasally.

"Yeah, yeah, that's great," Cardin said, waving him off. "So Jaune, you're probably wondering 'why did my buddy Cardin have me collect seven jars of tree sap when there are only five of us?'"

"That is one of the many questions I have asked myself today, yes."

The brown-haired teen smirked. "Well, come with me and you'll find out."

Jaune groaned but complied. A few minutes later, the five boys made it to a hill that overlooked the clearing that the other teams were in.

Everyone was either finished or finishing up their assignment, except for Ren. Every time he filled up a jar, he would hand it to Nora, and the hyperactive girl would drink the whole thing when his back was turned. Curious, Bolt stuck his fingers into the tree next to him, then pulled them out when some sap dripped onto them. He gave it a lick and became starry-eyed at how good it tasted, garnering a laugh from Yang and Ruby.

The blond looked at his tormentor. "Cardin, what's going on?" he asked uncertainly.

Cardin was no longer smirking; his face carried a scowl now. "Payback," he answered, his gaze shifting between two of the people in the clearing.

Jaune followed his gaze, his eyes landing on the figure of his red-haired partner. "Pyrrha?" He looked over to the other person, a certain blue-haired shapeshifter who was now laughing along with his two friends. "Bolt?"

"Those two," Cardin muttered. "The redheaded know-it-all and the blue-haired Goody-Two-shoes. They think they can get away with making a fool out of me? Well, I'll show them."

The brown-haired leader reached for something behind himself and pulled out a brown box with a W on it. "Alright boys, last night, Jaune managed to round up an entire box of Rapier Wasps. Now it's time to put them to work."

Russell placed a hand on Jaune's shoulder approvingly.

"Now, according to an essay he wrote for me last week, these nasty things looove sweets," Cardin went on. "I'm thinking it's time we teach those two a thing or two." He stood up with his team, pulling Jaune up and shoving the two extra jars into his hands. "And _you're_ going to be the one to do it."

The blond leader had a sinking feeling he knew what Cardin meant, but still he asked, "Do what?"

"Hit them with the sap," Cardin ordered. "Do it, or I'll have a chat with Goodwitch, and you'll be on the first airship out of Beacon."

Jaune stared at the jars in his hands, then at the smug looks on Team CRDL's faces. With no other options, he reared his arms back, ready to splatter the two targets with the sap.

Except…

Except he couldn't bring himself to do it.

He looked at Pyrrha as she glanced at her friends, completely unaware of what was about to happen. Jaune thought back to how she had offered to help him multiple times, yet he turned her down each time. The armored girl had been nothing but kind and caring to him; was this really how he wanted to repay her?

Jaune shifted his gaze over to Bolt next. He, Ruby, and Yang were no longer laughing; now the sisters were talking about something while the shapeshifter turned his head to face them.

He remembered how Bolt had helped him a while back, as well as the rabbit Faunus that CRDL had been picking on. Cardin called Bolt a Goody-Two-shoes, but he was just being nice, standing up for people who couldn't stand up for themselves. Could he really do this to someone as nice as Bolt?

A resolute expression appeared on his face as he made his decision.

"No."

Cardin's eyes narrowed. "What did you just say?"

"I said… no!" Jaune spun on his heel and threw both jars at Cardin instead. The jars smashed open and splattered the contents all over Cardin's chest armor, painting the yellow bird totally red. The blond flinched a second later when he realized what he just did.

The mace wielder chuckled menacingly. "Oh, you've done it now," he said. His teammates grabbed Jaune and pulled him deeper into the forest, ready to put him through a world of pain.

* * *

Bolt smiled.

Unbeknownst to Jaune and Team CRDL, the shapeshifter could sense exactly where they were, and when he turned his head, he had been watching the five of them out of the corner of his eye. He had sensed the blond's indecision, which was soon replaced with resolution, and saw Jaune finally stand up to Cardin with his action.

However, Bolt frowned when he witnessed CRDL drag the blond into the woods. " _Okay, time to step in,_ " he thought. Spying some of the extra jars, he picked up a couple of them and turned to his friends with a smile. "Hey guys, I'm going to go collect some more sap in case Nora tries to get to it again. I'll be back in a minute."

"Can't you just do that here?" the white-haired girl questioned.

"I could, but I also want to explore the forest a bit," Bolt said.

Yang seemed like she was about to say something, but Ruby spoke up. "Okay, Bolt! Just make sure you're back here soon!"

The blue-haired teen nodded before turning around and walking off into the forest.

* * *

It only took Bolt a couple of minutes to reach Jaune's location. When he got there, he saw Cardin holding the blond up in the air with his fist reared back to punch him. Bolt narrowed his eyes as he reached for his weapon and prepared to jump in when he was abruptly blinded by a bright flash.

When the light died down, the shapeshifter spotted Cardin on the ground, clutching his injured hand. Bolt gazed at Jaune and saw that the light emanated from him. It took a second to figure out what the light was.

" _So he managed to activate his aura…_ " Bolt mused as he stared at the blond leader, impressed. Jaune himself seemed awed by what just happened until he was kicked to the ground by Sky.

"Let's see how much of a man you really are," Cardin said, stepping forward. Jaune just glared at him defiantly, ready for whatever the bullies would do next. Bolt glowered ahead, once again about to step in to help his friend.

This time, he stopped when he heard the roars.

Team CRDL whirled around to see not one, but two Ursai stalking toward them. However, these weren't regular Ursai. They were Ursa Majors: bigger, stronger, and tougher variants of the more common Ursa Minor.

The two bears sniffed the air, trying to locate the sweet scent that they smelled. Once they found it, they zeroed in on the source: Cardin, who was trembling due to how close the Ursai were.

"Those are big Ursai!" Russell screamed as he, Sky, and Dove immediately turned tail and ran, abandoning their leader. Cardin wanted to run after them, but he was too terrified to move, as the Ursai were focused on him. One of the Grimm swatted him to the side, putting Jaune in their line of sight. However, rather than go for the smaller, less threatening target, the Ursai turned away from the blond and lumbered toward Cardin.

Jaune got to his feet and looked behind himself as if he were considering running, too. Then he looked back to Cardin, seeing one of the Ursai knock his mace out of his hand.

Meanwhile, out of sight, Bolt was staring in the direction that Cardin's team ran off in. " _Wow, they just left him there? Some friends they are,_ " he thought. The shapeshifter watched as the Ursai ignored Jaune and went for the brown-haired teen. He swiftly put the pieces together. " _Of course! They're after Cardin because they're attracted to the sap!_ " Bolt gazed at the blond swordsman, wondering what he would do now.

* * *

Teams RWBY and NPR were still waiting around, making conversation now that their task was complete, when they heard a loud roar.

"Did you guys hear that?" Ruby asked in alarm.

Seconds later, RDL burst out of the forest. "Ursai! Ursai!" Russell was still screaming as he ran until he bumped into Yang.

Before he could take off again, the blonde grabbed him by his shirt and lifted him into the air. "What?! Where?!" she demanded.

The terrified teen pointed to the woods. "Back there! They've got Cardin!" Yang dropped him and he ran off.

Pyrrha dropped her jar in shock, remembering who else was with Cardin. "Jaune!" she gasped.

"Yang, you and Blake find Professor Goodwitch and bring her here!" the silver-eyed girl ordered, bringing out her weapon.

"You two, go with them!" Pyrrha said to Nora and Ren as she followed Ruby's lead. "There might be more!" The four of them took off to follow the instructions given them while Ruby, Weiss, and Pyrrha ran into the forest.

* * *

Back in the forest, Cardin was trying to run from the Grimm, but one of them leaped over him and slashed him, sending him flying onto his back. The mace wielder tried to crawl away from it but forgot about the second Ursa, which charged at him and rammed its head into him, putting him on his back again.

The three girls arrived in time to see one of the Ursai towering over Cardin, ready to land the final blow. "Oh no," Pyrrha muttered as the beast brought its paw down. There was no way they would be able to save him in time.

However, they soon found out that there was no need to worry.

A familiar shield intercepted the Ursa's blow and stopped it in its tracks. Jaune grunted as he struggled to hold back the monster. However, as he was doing that, he failed to notice the other one creeping up on him.

Weiss pulled out her rapier and even Pyrrha looked ready to jump in to help, but they were both stopped by Ruby. "Wait," she said. "I believe in him."

Both girls stared at her with a mixture of surprise and disbelief. "Are you kidding?! There's no way Jaune can take on two Ursai by himself!" the heiress protested.

Ruby grinned slightly. "I never said I was talking about Jaune."

As the swordsman continued to hold the Ursa back, the other bear lumbered toward him from behind. When it was close enough, it stood on its hind legs and roared. Jaune grit his teeth with worry. He already had his hands full with one Ursa, literally; he knew for a fact that he couldn't handle two. The second Ursa seemed to realize this as well, as it raised its paw.

In the next second, it was blindsided by a flaming foot to the face.

The monster fell onto its side, and Jaune took the opportunity to push against his Ursa and slash its chest with his sword, knocking it back a bit. The blond turned to see who had helped him and found it was Bolt.

"Bolt?!" the blond exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to help you," the shapeshifter replied. He glanced over at Cardin. "Guess we've seen how much of a man _you_ really are."

Cardin couldn't respond; he was too speechless at what he just saw.

Bolt sighed as he formed his Bone Rush and readied himself. "Let's take care of these Grimm, Jaune."

"R-Right!" Jaune said as he stared at one of the Ursai.

In the shade where they still couldn't be seen, Weiss and Pyrrha were both stunned to see the shapeshifter. "What is Bolt doing here?!" the white-haired girl questioned.

"I sent him here earlier," Ruby answered cheerfully.

"When was this?! I thought he said he was going to get more sap…" Then Weiss trailed off as she put two-and-two together.

"I instructed him to keep an eye on Jaune to make sure he was okay and to help him if he needed it," the silver-eyed leader explained.

Pyrrha spoke up this time. "But why?"

Ruby looked at her. "Because Jaune is our friend, and you guys are all our friends. We didn't want something bad to happen to your team, especially because of Cardin. Therefore, I made it our mission to help out! I got Bolt involved because I knew his set of abilities would come in handy." She turned to watch the fights, leaving the other two girls to do the same.

"Alright, you overgrown teddy bear, let's go!" Bolt shouted as he charged at the Ursa he attacked; in response, the bear Grimm roared and swiped at him with its left paw. The blue-haired teen jumped right to avoid it, then jabbed its shoulder, leaving it off-balance. Before it could recover, Bolt leaped up and slammed his weapon down on the Ursa's head, driving it into the ground.

With Jaune, he rushed at his Ursa, which stood on its hind legs to meet him. Being a little faster, the blond slashed its chest again, making it roar in pain. The monster tried to smash Jaune with its paw, but he rolled out of the way. It swung its right paw at Jaune next, and the swordsman jumped over the attack. Unfortunately, he was left open for the Ursa to swing its other paw and smash him away.

Jaune was sent rolling back but quickly got to his feet. He charged at the Ursa again and jumped to attack it, but he was swatted away once again and ended up on his stomach.

As the blond leader stood up, he heard Bolt call out to him. "Jaune! Remember what Professor Goodwitch told you. Check your aura. Sometimes defense is better than offense."

Looking over at the blue-haired teen, Jaune saw him holding his Bone Rush horizontally while the Ursa was pushing against it. After a few seconds, he pushed it back a bit and tossed his bone upward. Seeing him weaponless, the Ursa quickly swiped its right paw at Bolt.

However, Bolt simply held up his left hand as he shouted, " **Endure!** " A red aura surrounded his body, and as the bear Grimm's paw crashed into the shapeshifter's left hand, he wasn't moved back an inch. The beast struggled to push him back, but at that moment, the bone that Bolt threw into the air came down, landing in his open right hand. Before the Ursa could react, Bolt whacked it across the face, making it stumble backward.

Not giving the beast a chance to recover, Bolt twirled his bone before impaling the Grimm in the chest, eliciting a roar of agony from it. The Ursa seemed to breathe heavily as it slammed its paw on the ground, trying to hit the shapeshifter. It lifted its paw as it stood on its hind legs, only to be confounded upon seeing that Bolt was no longer there.

In reality, Bolt had leaped into the air to dodge the blow. When the Ursa stood upright, the blue-haired teen landed directly on the bone, while his right foot burst into flames. Performing a backflip, he kicked the bear Grimm, nailing it in the face a second time.

"Whoa…" Jaune muttered as he watched his friend fight. It looked so… effortless for him. The blond was pulled from his musings when he heard a roar from the Ursa he was fighting. Facing it, Jaune saw it was already charging at him. Listening to Bolt's advice, he retreated behind his shield just as the Ursa swung its paw.

The blow sent him back, his feet skidding against the ground but not leaving it. Jaune exhaled before he pulled out his Scroll and checked his aura level. It had previously been in the yellow zone, but that last hit knocked it into the red. If he hadn't blocked it, it probably would have been depleted.

Jaune gazed at the Ursa, which looked like it was about to charge. Deciding to take a risk, he rushed at the beast, prompting it to do the same. Once he was close enough, the blond leader swung his sword; at the same time, the bear Grimm swung its paw.

On the sidelines, Pyrrha watched the two charge at each other and attack. She could see that while Jaune was aiming for the Ursa's neck, the bear's paw was on a collision course with Jaune's head. With the Ursa's strength and Jaune's low aura level, the blow could completely shatter his aura and cause serious damage.

In order to prevent that, the redhead held out her hand as she activated her Semblance. Jaune's shield moved upward and intercepted the Ursa's attack. The blond paused briefly as the monster's paw crashed into his shield, but then he let out a yell as he swung his sword and decapitated the Ursa.

Bolt and Pyrrha smiled as they saw that. " _Way to go, Jaune,_ " the former thought as he faced his Ursa. It looked like it was on its last legs. " _Guess I better wrap things up, too._ " The shapeshifter placed his hands close together as aura began to gather in between them, much to the astonishment of everyone watching. Once he was done, he thrust his arms forward. " **Aura Sphere!** " he called out.

The blue sphere made contact with the Ursa's stomach and exploded, causing a lot of smoke to rise. When the smoke cleared, the Grimm had a gaping hole in its stomach. It fell over onto its back, dead.

"Wow… When did Bolt learn to do that?" Pyrrha inquired.

"He probably learned it recently," Ruby mused. "He must have forgotten **Force Palm** since it's the only move we didn't see him use."

"Enough about that! Pyrrha, how did you do what you did with Jaune's shield?" the heiress questioned.

"Well, just as Ruby has her Speed and you have your Glyphs, my Semblance is Polarity," the armored teen explained.

Ruby looked a bit dazed. "Whoa, you can control poles…"

"No, you dunce! It means she has control over magnetism!" Weiss corrected.

"Magnets are cool, too…"

Pyrrha went on. "I thought Bolt would have shared that information with his team," she said.

The two other girls' eyes widened slightly. "When did Bolt figure that out?!" Weiss demanded.

"It was during our sparring match some time ago," Pyrrha answered as she turned to leave.

Weiss seemed puzzled by her action. "Wait, where are you going?"

"Yeah, shouldn't we tell them what happened?" her partner asked.

Pyrrha smiled. "We could… or we could keep it our little secret," she suggested. However, as they witnessed Jaune saying something to Cardin, Bolt suddenly gazed in their direction. He shot them a thumbs up and a grin, surprising Pyrrha and Weiss.

"Does he know we're here?" the redhead inquired.

"Yep!" Ruby chirped as she began heading back.

"How is that possible?!" the white-haired girl cried.

The youngest girl stopped for a moment. "Wait, did we forget to tell you about the other things Bolt can do as a side effect of his Semblance?" The disbelieving and curious faces that Weiss and Pyrrha, respectively, were sending her answered her question. "Oh, guess we did. Well, we'll tell you everything when we all get back." And with that, the three made their way back to the clearing where they left their teammates.

* * *

With all the fighting done, Bolt and Jaune were currently walking through the forest to reunite with their respective teams. A couple of minutes into their walk, the blond spoke. "Hey, Bolt? I was wondering… how did you get to be so good at fighting Grimm?" he asked.

Bolt paused for a second before he kept moving. "I guess you can say… I have a lot of experience in that field," he answered.

"How much experience?" Jaune asked curiously.

The silence lasted longer this time. "…7 years."

Jaune stumbled in surprise. "7 years?! Your parents let you fight Grimm since you were 10?!"

Bolt lowered his head. "…My parents didn't exactly have a say in the matter," he said sadly.

Jaune was confused at first, but it didn't take long for him to realize what the shapeshifter meant. His eyes widened. "Oh! I'm sorry, I had no idea!"

Bolt merely waved it off as they continued their stroll back. A minute later, the swordsman spoke up again. "I wish I could be more like you, Bolt," he confessed.

The teen in question gazed at Jaune. "What do you mean?" Bolt inquired.

"I mean, you beat that Grimm like it was nothing! It was so easy for you!" Jaune sighed. "I just wish I could be as good as fighting."

Bolt stopped walking again. "Jaune, why do you think I'm so good at fighting?"

"Huh? Uh, well…"

"It's because I was trained," Bolt went on, not bothering to wait for him to answer. "My mom and dad were a highly trained Huntsman and Huntress, and they trained me for a month before they died. I continued training by myself afterward, and eventually, I met Yang and Ruby, and I was able to train with them, too."

"Oh, I see. So you had training," the blond leader mused. He actually didn't have as much training with his weapon as he would've liked. Sure Jaune could swing his sword around and use his shield to block attacks, but pretty much anyone could do that; he couldn't wield his sword as well as some of the other students with swords, like Weiss, Blake, or even… Pyrrha.

"Training is important and all, but you know what's even more important than that?" the blue-haired teen questioned. Jaune shook his head, and Bolt gave him the answer. "Knowing when to ask for help."

Jaune's eyes widened a little.

"No one is strong enough to do everything by themselves, and that includes me. I may be proficient at killing Grimm, but that doesn't mean I won't need help from other people," Bolt explicated. "For example, think back to your Initiation. Even after I got a boost in power with my Semblance, the most I could do was leave those two Grimm incapacitated for a short while. It took all of us working together to finally defeat them."

The blond pondered his words as Bolt looked at him. "It's okay to be strong on your own, but if you need help, you shouldn't be afraid to ask for it. Likewise, if someone who can help you offers it, you should accept." The shapeshifter began walking again, and a few seconds later, Jaune followed after him, having a lot to think about.

"And Jaune." The blond looked up when Bolt called him again. He saw his blue-haired friend grinning at him. "Congratulations on killing your first Grimm by yourself." He kept treading ahead while Jaune smiled.

* * *

Once everyone made it to the rendezvous point, they boarded the Bullhead and it flew back to Beacon. The flight took about an hour, and once they got back, the first-years still had a couple of classes left in the day. By the time they were all finished, it was nighttime.

Jaune found himself standing on the roof of the school once again, though he was alone this time. The team leader was reflecting on the things that had happened since last week, especially the words that Ruby and Bolt had told him.

As he was thinking to himself, a familiar voice rang out behind him. "No Cardin tonight?" his partner questioned as she walked over to stand next to him. "I thought the two of you were best friends?"

Jaune turned to face her. "Pyrrha… I'm sorry," he apologized. "I was a jerk. You were only trying to help, and I had all this stupid, macho stuff going through my head—"

"Jaune," Pyrrha cut him off. "It's okay." The blond smiled at her sincerely, and Pyrrha smiled back, her face slightly more red. "You know, your team really misses their leader. You should come down." She started walking toward the door. "Ren made pancakes! No syrup, though; you can thank Nora for that."

Bolt's words were still ringing through his head. "Wait!" Jaune called, making the redhead halt and face him. "I know I don't deserve it after everything that's happened, but… would you still be willing to help me… to help me become a better fighter?"

At first, she didn't reply; she just turned around so that her back was to Jaune, making him think she would say no. However, with her back turned, the blond couldn't see the smile on Pyrrha's face. The scarlet-haired warrior walked over to Jaune and abruptly shoved him to the ground.

"Hey!" he protested.

"Your stance is all wrong. You need to be wider and closer to the ground," Pyrrha stated matter-of-factly before holding out a hand to him. With a smile, Jaune took it and got to his feet. "Let's try that again."

And that marked their first night – the start of Jaune's training.

* * *

"So? Are things better?" Ruby asked Bolt.

After classes had ended, the silver-eyed leader had instructed Bolt to keep track of Jaune again. He reported to her that he sensed him heading for the roof, then told her when he sensed Pyrrha following after him. At that, Ruby had taken him to the stairwell that led to the roof. Yang tagged along out of curiosity.

Currently, the three sat on the other side of the door. The sisters were relying on Bolt's ability to sense people's feelings to determine whether or not the problems on Team JNPR were still around.

The shapeshifter was silent for a moment before replying, "Pyrrha feels happy, and Jaune feels relieved and ecstatic. If I had to guess… yeah, things are probably better now."

Ruby fist pumped. "Yes!"

"So does this mean you guys are done with your mission that you wouldn't let me be a part of?" Yang asked with her arms crossed.

"Looks like it!" the younger girl answered. "And Yang, I totally would have included you, but I didn't really need you for anything, only Bolt."

"I sure I could have done something!" the blonde protested.

Bolt chuckled as he watched the sisters squabble. "Come on, you two. Let's head back to our dorm room," he said, pulling them along as they continued to argue.

* * *

 **All right! That's the end! It might be a little abrupt, but that's really the best I could come up with.**

 **As you all can see, I left out episode 12 and the first half of episode 13. Since there was absolutely nothing different than in canon, I saw no reason to write it in.**

 **How was the cafeteria scene with Velvet? Did you guys like it?**

 **How many people expected me to introduce Team CFVY this chapter? We never see when Team RWBY met them in canon, so I thought I'd throw that in here. As for the rumor… well, it will be explained in time.**

 **I hope you all enjoyed the twist I added when Jaune fought the Ursa! I have to admit, though, the scene afterward with Jaune and Bolt was actually the hardest part of the chapter to write. I remember everything I wanted to write perfectly, but because I didn't write it down immediately, I forgot it. The scene here is the best I had.**

 **Now, does anyone watch One Minute Melee? If so, did you see Season 6, Episode 11: Yang vs. Bakugo? If you did, that episode was totally awesome, right?! It was easily the best episode of Season 6 for me! That episode is the reason it took less than a month to finish this chapter; it really motivated me to work on this story!**

 **I also saw the second episode of RWBY Volume 6 recently. Won't spoil anything, but I will say that it's pretty intense, and it reintroduces someone I'd hoped to not see again.**

 **Well now, if I'm correct, there should be two more chapters left for Volume 1! I'm so close to finishing! However, before I get to that, I'm jumping over to The Fairy Tail Shapeshifter for a couple of chapters. Then I'll finish things up here.**

 **Well, that seems to be everything, so I'll move on to my story recommendations:**

 **The Journey of the Guardian by dragonwolf12 – A pokemon Fanfiction where Ash's starter pokemon is Riolu and Ash has the ability to use aura. It's a very good story; go check it out!**

 **Soul of the Tempest – Shinatsuhiko by BringZStorm – An Akame ga Kill fanfiction that plays out differently than in canon. Tatsumi was trained by a master assassin alongside two other kids and has a different Teigu. Read this story!**

 **Lollipops, Headsets and Other Eccentricities by Deathwhisperer – An AU Akame ga Kill fanfiction where Tatsumi, Sayo, and Ieyasu are attending a school known as Imperial Academy while staying at an apartment that they share with the members of Night Raid. It's incredibly hilarious, so go read it!**

 **Well, that's all for now. Remember to favorite, follow, and review! I'll see you guys over at The Fairy Tail Shapeshifter! Sparky D., out!**


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